A Critical Role of the Student Teaching on Instructional Beliefs: An Example of Early Childhood Student and Cooperating Teachers

This study investigated student teachers’ instructional beliefs over the course of student teaching. This study also examined the relationship between the beliefs of student teachers and their cooperating teachers. Participants of the study were 75 student teachers and 35 cooperating teachers. Data were gathered through Teacher Beliefs Survey, which were administered at the beginning and at the end of the student teaching period. Findings showed that the constructivist beliefs of the participant student teachers increased during the student teaching period. Cooperating teachers hold more traditional beliefs than student teachers. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to the literature.