Pedagogy, Practice, and Mentorship: Core Elements of Connecting Theory to Practice in Teacher Educator Preparation Programs

As the teacher education preparation climate shifts to emphasize extended clinical field experiences as the heart of preservice teacher preparation, the research community has attempted to understand more about the pedagogies and personnel that will support learning in these areas. Supervisors are a staple in the clinical field experience, yet the research community has a limited viewpoint of the practices and decision-making that lay underneath their work. Using a multiple case study methodology and a select but diverse group of participants, this study investigated the resources that supervisors draw on to resolve challenges in their practice. The results of this study highlight the significance of coursework for the preparation of teacher educators. Specifically, the results note that exposure to and practical application of philosophies and pedagogies learned during coursework can be used to utilized to resolve challenges in supervisors’ work with preservice teachers. Additionally, this research demonstrates the role of mentoring communities on clinical instructors’ development.