Preparing for Democracy and Diversity: The Impact of a Community-Based Field Experience on...

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Preparing for Democracy and Diversity:The Impact of a Community-Based FieldExperience on Preservice Teachers'Knowledge, Skills, and AttitudesDennis E. Potthoff a , Julie A. Dinsmore a , Geraldine Stirtz a , TomWalsh a , Jane Ziebarth a & Karen Eifler ba University of Nebraska , Kearney , USAb University of Portland , USAPublished online: 06 Jan 2012.

To cite this article: Dennis E. Potthoff , Julie A. Dinsmore , Geraldine Stirtz , Tom Walsh , JaneZiebarth & Karen Eifler (2000) Preparing for Democracy and Diversity: The Impact of a Community-Based Field Experience on Preservice Teachers' Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes, Action in TeacherEducation, 22:1, 79-92, DOI: 10.1080/01626620.2000.10462995

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Preparing for Democracy and Diversity: The Impact of a Community-Based Field Experience on Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes

Dennis E. Potthoff, Julie A. Dinsmore, Geraldine Stirtz, Tom Walsh, and Jane Ziebarth University of Nebraska at Kearney

Karen Eifler University of Portland

Abstract

This article presents a study undertaken by members of a college of education which, responding to a state mandate doubling the number offield experience hours required of preservice teachers, created a field experience wherein students work in communiry-based human service agencies. Perceptions of students, agency personnel, and education faculty, elicited through survey and interview data, focused on the growth in attitudes, knowledge, and skills developed by preservice teachers through this field experience. Data indicate this experience fosters the goals of the College of Education and that those directly involved, preservice teachers and community agency personnel value the experience, while college faculty who are less directly involved perceive it to be less effective. Connections are established to the literature on service-learning and teacher education in a diverse society. Recommendations for the program and further research are presented.

Introduction

In 199 1, the College of Education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney implemented Professional Teacher Education (PTE) 290: A 50 hour community-based service learning experience required for all preservice teachers. PTE 290 is taken concurrently with Professional Teacher Education 200, a developmental behavior course which is the first course in the professional sequence for education majors. Since its inception, more than 2,000 preservice teachers have spent time working in more than 150 community programs and agencies. Desiring to better understand this service learning experience, a research team collected data from: (a) 136 preservice teachers who completed the field experience in the spring semester, 1997; (b) representatives from the 68 community programs and agencies who were directly involved that same semester; and (c) 26 college faculty who teach education courses. The purposes for studying PTE 290 were: (a) to assess preservice teacher growth related to the knowledge, skill, and attitudinal objectives for PTE 200; (b) to better understand the types of activities in which preservice teachers are engaged throughout PTE 290; and (c) to determine the satisfaction level of preservice teachers, community programs/ agencies, and college faculty with PTE 290.

Review of Literature

Service Learning Defined

“Service learning is a form of experiential education, deeply rooted in cognitive and developmental psychology, pragmatic philosophy, and democratic theory. . . it begins with the assumption that experience is the foundation for learning; and various forms of community service are employed as the experiential basis for learning” (Bonar, Buchanan, Fisher, & Wechsler, 1996, p. 1). A desire to address the “common good” characterizes much of the theoretical basis of service

learning (Erickson & Anderson, 1997). Three key elements of service learning are: (1) foundational and/or professional knowledge are combined with experience in and action on community needs; (2) traditional classroom and laboratory experiences are combined with significant experiences in field placements where pertinent social issues can be addressed; and (3) a special tripartite partnership exists between students, faculty, and the community. Service learning differs from traditional forms of community service in that experiences are organized to address community needs, reflect a higher level of intra-agency coordination, and foster a clearer sense of civitas--a sense of responsibility for, and commitment to, the common good in a democratic society. Service learning experiences are carefully integrated into academic curriculum. This integration typically includes structured reflection time (Jacobi-Gray, et. al, 1996). Barber (1994), provided an important insight into the spirit of service learning:

Many draw a misleading and dangerous picture of service as the rich helping the poor (charity) or the poor paying a debt to their country (service in exchange for college scholarships) as if ‘Community‘ means only the disadvantaged and needy and does not include those performing service. . . . leading students to believe that service is a matter of sacrijking private interests to moral virtue. The language of citizenship suggests that self-interests are always embedded in communities of action and that in serving neighbors one also serves oneself (pgs. 248-249)

Some definitions of service learning identify potential drawbacks. Gardner (1 997) suggested the following challenges to service learning: (a) significant investments of time, organization, and communication are needed; (b) a professional development plan for educators must be implemented; (c) logistical and time demands on students must be addressed; and (d) strategies are needed which enhance the typically limited ability of community agencies to effectively utilize large numbers of volunteers.

The Role of Service Learning in the University Setting

In the 1990’s, there has been a renewed interest in service learning at all levels in the education system. The National and Community Service Trust Act (1993) established the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNS). CNS operates three separate programs, one of which is Learn and Serve America (LSA). One branch of LSA, Learn and Serve America Higher Education (LSAHE) links service and academic learning at the college level. College students are encouraged to serve as volunteers in community settings (Jacobi-Gray, Geschwind, Ondaatje, Robyn, Klein, Sax, Astin & Astin, 1996). Barber provided historical support for why service learning is appropriate for college students:

Service to the neighborhood and to the nation are not the gift of altruists but a duty of free men and women whose freedom is itseCf wholly dependent on the assumption of political responsibilities. . . unless we assume the responsibilities of citizens, we will not be able to preserve the liberties they entail . . . .American colleges were first founded in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries around the idea of service--to church, the local community, and the emerging nation. (Barber; 1994, pg. 246).

One reason why service learning has gained popularity is a growing concern about the health of the U.S. democracy. In response, many colleges are anxious to contribute to the greater good of society; to fulfill Woodrow Wilson’s vision that “it is not the learning, but the spirit of service that will give college a place in the public annals of the nation.” Jacoby (1994) supports

service learning because it effectively mobilizes the energies of responsible, socially committed citizens while also producing tremendous benefits for college students, communities, and colleges.

A second reason why many colleges and universities are encouraging community involvement is the increasingly vocal public dissatisfaction with their performance. Bonar, Buchanan, Fisher, & Wechsler (1996) provided the following explanation: “Higher education is at a crossroads. At few moments in our country’s history have so many questioned the importance and relevance of higher education to contemporary society. Policy makers and taxpayers alike share a view of the American university as a bastion for privileged intellectuals, not attending to social problems, teaching irrelevant (and irreverent) subjects, too little concerned with teaching and too much interested in research and somehow not serving their local communities” (p. 10). Similarly, Boyer (1987) argued that colleges emphasize careers too much and volunteerism too little and reminds us all that the knowledge doled out during the undergraduate college experience needs to be knowledge which students can channel to humane ends.

The Role of Service Learning in Preservice Teacher Preparation

The benefits of service learning for prospective teachers have long been recognized. School and community-based experiences were advocated in the Flowers Report (1948); a seminal study which set the tone for the modem era of the practicum (Zeichner, 1990). During the 1960’s and 19703, the federal government actively supported projects which prepared teachers to work with children of poverty. For example, one notable program during this era, the Teacher Corps Project, required preservice teachers to spend 20% of their time carrying out community-based projects (Zeichner, 1989).

Proponents for service learning stress three reasons for why it should be a part of teacher preparation programs. First, service learning is consistent with the current renewed emphasis on the fundamental role of public schools in a democracy. Second, service learning is a useful strategy for combatting perceived shortcomings in teacher preparation programs. Third, service learning enhances preservice teachers’ learning by linking academic content with community involvement.

In response to concerns about the health of our democracy, many teacher education programs have a renewed emphasis on the role of public K-12 schools and colleges/universities in a democracy. One example of this commitment is the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER). The NNER agenda promotes the enculturation of learners into a social and political democracy. Goodlad ( 1997) described the crucial link between citizenship and public schools/ education in the following way: “There will be no liberty, no equality, no social justice without democracy, and there will be no democracy without citizens and schools that forge civic identity and democratic responsibility” (p. 29). Goodlad also stressed the need for devoting school time to the cultivation of citizenship:

What we have in mind is education that develops in humans the dispositions to make choices that benefit self and community mutually. . . the public purpose in a democratic society should be the teaching of those altruistic dispositions that cultivate the transcendent self in the democratic community. (p. 36-43)

The available research suggests that participation in service learning does stimulate civitas. Three separate studies concluded: (a) community partnerships often are sustained long after the formal educational experience ends (Sullivan, 1996); (b) service learning experiences result in an increased sense of civic responsibility (Jacobi-Gray, et. al., 1996); and (c) student teachers who

develop service learning projects for K-12 students are likely to enact future service-learning projects (Selke, 1996).

Colleges of education in the 1990’s have not escaped public criticism and more intense scrutiny. Thus, incorporating service learning into teacher preparation programs is, in part, a response to perceived shortcomings. One often-cited shortcoming, especially given the continued White, middle class background of the overwhelming majority of preservice teachers, is a need for strategies which more adequately prepare teachers for working in ever-more diverse K- 12 schools. In theory, community based experiences help preservice teachers build a socially responsive knowledge base. Zeichner (1 989) contended that programs which include community-based experiences become more crucial as teachers are increasingly asked to educate youngsters whose “characteristics, cultural backgrounds, and values are different from their own” (p. 8). Barber (1994), even while arguing that America has always been ‘‘a tale of people trying to be a people, a tale of diversity and plurality in search of unity,” (p. 41) acknowledged that the multicultural perspective of the American story has never been as controversial as it is today. Goodlad (1997) concluded that the “current problem of the American democracy is coping with a virtual explosion of individuals and collectives seeking to define their identity in the face of the realization that those in power over the years have been defining it for them” (p. 27).

Another perceived shortcoming of teacher education programs is that preservice teachers’ experiences are often not linked with the larger teaching and learning context. Too often, critics claim, preservice teachers learn about teaching from the narrow frame of reference of a single classroom. Turney (1 985) suggested the practicum should include classroom, school, and community domains. He also believed that experiences in community settings help preservice teachers become more adept at identifying, locating, and using community resources. Experiences in the community help preservice teachers develop an awareness of the multiplicity of factors that inform the educational process (Brady, 1987) and broaden students’ awareness of the larger world (Yogev & Ronen, 1982).

A third reason for including service learning in teacher preparation is the research which suggests that community-based experiences which are thoughtfully connected to on-campus coursework enhance the academic learning of college students. Service learning can: (a) help college students more actively process theoretical concepts (Sullivan, 1996; Bonar, Buchanan, Fisher, & Wechsler, 1996); (b) increase academic development and life skill development (Jacobi-Gray, et. al., 1996); and (c) help preservice teachers understand reform initiatives such as authentic assessment, site-based management and teacher empowerment (Erickson & Anderson, 1997).

Kearney, Nebraska, home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), is a community of 27,000 which is located in a rural setting. UNK student enrollment is 7,600. The College of Education (COE) at UNK has 1,400 students, most of whom attend school full-time. The COE offers a comprehensive collection of bachelor and master level programs. Since 1994, the COE, with its K-12 partner schools, has been involved in the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER); a movement dedicated to simultaneously renewing teacher education programs and K- 12 schools. The NNER agenda is based on 19 postulates and four moral dimensions (a) enculturation of the young into a social and political democracy, (b) providing equitable access to knowledge for all learners, (c) nurturing pedagogy, and (d) stewardship for the schools.

Allegiance to the “ E R agenda is shaping the COFs renewal efforts. Other governing bodies, however, also exert influence. For example, In 1989, the Nebraska State Board of Education (NSBE)

increased from 50 to 100 the number of clock hours of pre-student teaching field and laboratory experiences required of candidates seeking initial teaching certification. The COE response to this doubling of the required pre-student teaching hours was to create a new field experience, Professional Teacher Education 290 (PTE 290).

PTE 290 -- A Communitv-Based Human Services Field Experience

For PTE 290, preservice teachers are placed in local human services programs and agencies. PTE 290 is taken concurrently with PTE 200, a developmental behavior course. There are 26 growth objectives for the PTE 200/290 sequence including ten knowledge objectives, seven skill objectives, and nine attitude objectives. Examples of the knowledge objectives include learning how community programs and agencies work, understanding persons from various cultural and economic backgrounds, and studying how environmental and developmental factors influence learning. Two skill objective examples are interpersonal communication and self-reflection. Three of the attitudinal objectives target willingness to serve others, empathy for those different from self, and warmth and caring.

PTE 200 is consistently taught by a small group of full-time faculty who annually provide instruction for approximately 350-400 preservice teachers, the majority of whom are college sophomores. The PTE 290 coordinator is a full-time, non-tenure track position. Over the past six years, the program has evolved to include the following key steps. First, after an initial orientation by the PTE 290 coordinator, preservice teachers review a catalog of placement opportunities and submit placement preferences based on categories. PTE 290 placement options are divided into seven broad categories including: disabled individuals, preschool settings, at-risk adolescents, education support programs, recreation programs, skill building programs, and programs for families with special needs. Second, according to preservice teacher preferences, the PTE 290 coordinator assigns each preservice teacher interviews with three or more of the 75+ programs/agencies which attend an on-campus interview fair. Third, on the basis of interview feedback provided by the progradagency representatives, the PTE 290 coordinator makes placement decisions. Fourth, all preservice teachers attend an on-campus placement conference where they are informed of their placement, receive bloodborne pathogen training, and review the goals and objectives for PTE 290. Fifth, preservice teachers meet with a progradagency representative in order to complete a written contract which clarifies scheduling and responsibilities. Sixth, each preservice teacher completes a 50 hour field experience during which time they maintain a reflective journal. Near the end of the semester, preservice teachers attend an exit conference.

Methodology

The goal for this research study was to assess the PTE 290 field experience from the perspectives of preservice teachers, college faculty, and community personnel. The following four research questions were investigated:

1. What are the perceptions of preservice teachers, faculty, and community personnel as to how the PTE 290 field experience impacts preservice teacher growth with regard to the 26 knowledge, skill, and attitudinal objectives associated with the PTE 200/PTE 290 sequence?

2. What are preservice teacher, faculty, and community perceptions of the nature and extent of involvement of preservice teachers in activities related to the objectives for the PTE 200/290 sequence?

3. What is the level of satisfaction with PTE 290 for preservice teachers, college faculty, and community personnel?

4. Which PTE 290 placement categories are more and less effective and satisfying to the preservice teachers?

Procedures

In order to explore these questions, a 53-item Likert scale survey was developed. Key sections of the survey corresponded with the research questions -- preservice teacher growth, preservice teacher involvement, and satisfaction. Items included within the growth section reflected the objectives for the PTE 200 course. Space for narrative comments was provided. While the preservice teachers and college faculty completed identical versions of the survey, the survey was modified somewhat for use with community programs/agencies. However, 26 of the items were identical to those included in the preservice teachedfaculty version.

Data Collection

The survey was administered in the Spring, 1997. The return rate for the preservice teacher group was 91% (N = 136). The preservice teachers were 93% White, 66% female, and 82% traditional-aged (19-23 years old). Overall, 30% of the preservice teachers were preparing to teach in elementary schools ,42% were studying secondary education, and 14% were preparing to teach K-12 art, physical education, music, or special education. The remaining 10% were pursuing an “other” endorsement combination.

The survey was disseminated to all faculty who teach at least one methods course and/or required course in the teacher education sequence (such as PTE 200). The return rate for faculty was 43% (N = 26). As a group, the faculty respondents were 58% female and 100% White. The faculty who responded were dispersed across all key endorsement areas (23% elementary education, 27% secondary education, 24% K-12 programs, and 17% general teacher education).

Responses were received from sixty-five of the sixty-eight community agencies/programs (95%) which hosted PTE 290 preservice teachers in the Spring, 1997.

Results and Discussion

&sew ice Teacher Growth in Knowledge. Skill. and Attitude

Table 1 reports the overall mean and means for the preservice teacher, college faculty, and community subgroups, for each of the 26 survey items which addressed a specific knowledge, skill, or attitudinal objective from the PTE 200/PTE 290 sequence. All three subgroups responded to fourteen of these items. The preservice teachers and college faculty responded to the remaining twelve items. Table 1 also denotes the 23 items which yielded statistically significant differences between groups (p c .01).

Analysis of the data from the preservice teacher growth section of the survey yielded three important insights. The first, and arguably most important, insight was that PTE 290 helped foster knowledge, skills, and attitudes which are consistent with the College’s desire to promote democracy and diversity. Two of the highest ranked growth items, “warmth/caring” and “willingness to serve others,” are desired outcomes noted in the service learning literature. These two attitudinal qualities

’Pdble 1: Preservice Teacher Growth in Attitudes, Skills, and Knowledge by Subgroups

Overall Preservice College Community Survey Item Personnel Teachers Faculty Personnel

Attitudinal Objectives WarmWCaring Empathy for persons differenvself Willingness to serve others Understanding of self Confidence level Enthusiasm Self-esteem Higher expecations for all students Willingness to take risk

Skills Objectives Self-reflection Interpersonal communication Flexibility Leadership Organization Problem solving Decision-making

Knowledge objectives How environmental and developmental factors influence learning Abilityhehavior of teacher leaders How community agencies work Relationship between intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and moral development

Relationship between behaviors and learning theory Persons from low socioeconomic backgrounds Relationship between schools and community agencies Risk factors impact on development Persons from non-White backgrounds Persons from high socioeconomic backgrounds

4.65 4.60 4.57 4.53 4.48 4.49 4.32 4.29 4.26

4.49 4.44 4.32 4.15 4.09 4.08 4.06

4.27 4.23

4.85 4.72 4.69 4.71 4.53 4.71 4.52 4.47 4.44

4.80 4.61 4.5 1 4.41 4.27 4.21 4.25

4.5 1 4.3 1

3.30 3.70 3.62 3.05 3.62 3.38 3.05 3.10 3.05

3.24 3.38 3.10 2.86 2.91 2.70 2.91

2.77 2.48

4.65 4.62

4.22 4.40

4.00 4.09 4.27 4.02

2.64 ~ ~~

Note. A 6-point likert scale was used (6 = major growth and 1 = no growth). p < .01

are also central elements in civitas. Another of the highest ranked growth items, “empathy for persons different from self,” is an attitude which should help preservice teachers to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Several other highly ranked items, such as self-understanding, interpersonal communication skills, confidence, and self-esteem, further enhance a teacher’s ability to work with diverse groups of students.

The qualitative comments which preservice teachers provided confirmed that the PTE 290 experience can stimulate civitas and encourage broadened views on diversity. Caring and concern were very evident. One preservice teacher remembered how painful it was to say good-bye to the troubled adolescent female with whom she worked. Another preservice teacher described how his own attitude evolved from one of “just wanting to get it (PTE 290) done” to “actually becoming emotionally involved.” Many preservice teachers noted the value of working with persons different from self. For example, one preservice teacher learned that “kids who may seem to be bad are really great to work with.” Another preservice teacher recognized an increased ability to “identify with people who differ from me.” A third preservice teacher admitted that being exposed to persons different from myself “changed my views about them.”

A second insight from the data related to the types of growth experienced by preservice teachers. Most growth was attitudinal. According to the self-reports of the preservice teachers, the combined mean for the nine survey items which examined attitudinal growth was 4.62. This mean indicated “definite to significant growth.” In comparison, the combined means for the seven skill- oriented items and for the ten knowledge-oriented items were 4.43 and 3.88 respectively. Also, of the twelve growth-related items which had a mean score which exceeded 4.50, seven were attitudinal, three were skill-oriented, and two were knowledge-oriented. The highest ranked attitudinal items included: warmthkaring (4.85), empathy for those different from self (4.72), understanding of self (4.7 I ) , enthusiasm (4.7 I ) , willingness to serve others (4.69), confidence level (4.53) and self-esteem (4.52). The three highest ranked skill items were self-reflection (4.80), interpersonal communication (4.61), and flexibility (4.51). The two knowledge items which had mean scores of more than 4.50 were understanding how environmental and developmental factors influence learning (4.53), and recognition of the abilities and behaviors of teacher leaders (4.51). The data gathered from the college faculty and community representatives confirmed that attitudinal growth was most likely.

A third key insight was that college faculty were the least convinced that PTE 290 facilitates preservice teacher growth. Of the fourteen items from the growth section of the survey to which preservice teachers, college faculty, and community representatives responded, twelve yielded statistically significant differences between groups and there were also significant differences between groups for 11 of the 12 growth items to which preservice teachers and college faculty only responded. Without exception, college faculty members’ perceptions of growth were smallest. Three possible explanations for why college faculty were less enthused seem plausible. First, it is possible that college faculty not teaching the PTE 200 course do not fully understand PTE 290. Of the three groups of respondents, faculty clearly have the least firsthand knowledge of the field experience. A second explanation is that college faculty were not aware of how positively the preservice teachers and community agencies and programs feel about PTE 290; college faculty may believe that the preservice teachers are dissatisfied and/or are not recognizing personal growth. A third explanation is that college faculty are conceptually opposed to community-based field experiences. Given that the most popular models for reforming field experiences, such as the Professional Development School, are K- 12 school-based, faculty might prefer to locate all field experiences in schools.

Involvement of Preservice Teachers

Fourteen survey items were related to involvement. Two items yielded statistically significant differences between groups (p < .01); “direct interaction with clients” and “clerical activities.” Preservice teachers (4.93) and community personnel (4.8 1) reported more preservice teacher involvement in direct interactions with clients than was reported by college faculty (3.59). Also, preservice teachers (2.32) and community representatives (2.57) reported less preservice teacher

time was spent doing clerical activities than was judged to be the case by college faculty (3.33). The fact that college faculty believed preservice teachers spend significantly more time doing clerical activities and significantly less time interacting directly with clients helps explain the wide gap in perceptions about preservice teacher growth. It is possible that faculty based their perceptions on isolated interactions with preservice teachers.

Satisfaction Level

Table 2 reports an overall mean and subgroup means for the four satisfaction-related survey items to which preservice teachers, college faculty, and community progradagency representatives responded and also for the six satisfaction-related items which were answered only by preservice teachers and college faculty.

Table 2. Satisfaction With PTE 290 Community-Based Field Experience by Subgroups

0 v e r a I1 Preservice College Community Survey Item Personnel Teachers Faculty Personnel

Number of hours required (50) Scheduling of hours Journal Assignment Training provided by Community Agency Interview Fair (Placement interviews) Information provided by UNK personnel Explanation of goals for PTE 290 Degree to which FTE 290 helps preservice teachers process PTE 200 content Degree to which PTE 290 helps preservice teachers determine career goals Overall Satisfaction with FTE 290

4.69 4.43 4.33

4.7 1 4.76

4.39 4.61

4.76 4.59 4.46

4.69 4.9 1

4.64 4.76

3.65 3.40 3.48

4.00 3.76

2.76 2.92

4.86 4.40

Note. A 6-point likert scale (6 = completely satisfied and 1 = not at all satisfied). p c .01

Analysis of the satisfaction section of the survey yielded two insights. First, there was a high level of support for FTE 290. The overall satisfaction levels reported by preservice teachers (4.76) and community representatives (4.94) approached “very satisfied” status. Second, college faculty were significantly less satisfied with PTE 290 than are the preservice teachers and the community agencies/programs. Seven of the ten satisfaction-related items data yielded statistically significant differences between groups (p c .01). In all cases, college faculty were the least satisfied. The less than “somewhat satisfied” .(2.92) overall satisfaction reported by college faculty was a stark contrast to the strongly positive feelings of the other two groups.

Preservice Teacher Growth bv Placement Category -- Which Catego ries are Best?

Table 3 summarizes preservice teacher only data for the 20 survey items which produced significant differences between groups (p = < .01) according to placement category. Eleven items related to involvement, two were satisfaction-related, and seven related to preservice teacher growth. Alhough not statistically significant, also included in Table 3 are the results from the survey item

which asked preservice teachers to judge their overall level of satisfaction with PTE 290.

’hble 3. Preservice Teacher Growth and Satisfaction Level by PTE 290 Placement Category

Survey Item

Placeme nt Category Disabled At Risk Education Skill Spec. Needs

Kids, PreSChOOIb Programs, Supportd Recreation, Buildingf Familiesg

Direct client interaction Recreational activities Attend Staff Develop. Interact with families With Non-Whites With high SES Varied Families Mentally Disabled Physically Disabled Abused Clients Limited English Prof. Satisfaction with PTE

290 Goals Explanation Satisfaction with 290/200

Connections Understand Community

ProgramsJAgencies BehaviodLearning Theory

Relationship Environmental Factors

Impact on Development Knowledge of Learner

abilities and behaviors

5.60 4.43 2.26 2.32 2.33 2.85 3.90 5.71 5.10 3.50 3.90

4.38 Relationship between growth/

The impact of risk factors on development 3.45

Attitude--Enthusiasm 4.62 Overall Satisfaction 4.73

development domains 4.24

5.26 4.11 1.42 2.47 3.26 3.05 3.61 1.74 1.63 1.94 1.79

2.95 5.05 4.63

5. I9 4.38 2.53 2.31 2.24 2.94 1.82 2.27 4.24 4.06 2.50 1.88 5.47 2.87 3.29 1.87 2.47 1.60 5.13 2.00 2.65 3.33

5.41 4.31

4.87 3.50

4.86 3.40

4.88 3.88

4.75 3.75

4.94 3.44

4.82 3.8 1 4.86 3.81 5.00 4.19

5.08 4.31 2.08 3.00 2.92 4.15 4.69 2.17 1.91 2.60 1.33

3.31 5.23 5.23

4.48 2.48 1.60 1.29 3.10 3.86 4.57 2.48 2.14 2.44 2.00

3.62 4.67 4.90

4.65 3.85 3.3 1 3.77 2.85 3.04 4.56 2.42 2.38 2.68 1.96

4.00 4.69 4.65

Note. A 6-point likert scale (6 = major growthkompletely satisfied and 1 = no growthhot at all satisfied)

an = 20 bn = 19 c n = 16 d n = 1 6 e n = 13 fn = 21 gn = 26 p < .01

These results clearly suggested that not all the community-based field experiences were equal; some placement categories apparently were more powerful. One difference was that some placements permitted more direct interaction with clients. Preservice teachers from the following four placement categories reported that their PTE 290 experience almost always involved direct interaction with clients; the disabled (5.60), preschool (5.26), at-risk youth (5.19), and recreation program (5.08) categories. This was valuable information, especially given that college faculty believed preservice teachers are only “somewhat involved” (3.59) with direct client interactions.

While it was not surprising to learn that different placement categories provided different types of involvement opportunities, the data also helped identify placement categories which were more and less likely to provide experiences consistent with the College’s commitments to promoting democracy and diversity. Two placement categories, the at-risk youth category and the disabled individuals category, were especially strong. Besides providing exposure to varied family structures (5.47) and to persons who have been involved with abusive situations (5.13), the at-risk category also was more likely to help preservice teachers better understand the impact of environment (4.88) and risk factors (4.82) on human growth and development. In addition to gaining valuable exposure to mentally disabled individuals (5.7 1) and physically disabled individuals ( 5 . lo), the preservice teachers assigned to work with disabled also were more likely to understand the connections between behavior and learning (4.76) and grasp the impact of environment on growth and development (5.05).

Overall satisfaction-wise, there was not a significant difference between groups according to placement category. The preservice teachers expressed satisfaction with the field experience; all seven placement subgroups were at or above the “satisfied” level (above 4.0). The two “very satisfied” subgroups were the preservice teachers placed in recreation programs (5.23) and those who worked with at-risk adolescents (5.00). There were significant between group differences in terms of satisfaction with how the field experience helped preservice teachers process the content presented in the on-campus developmental behavior course; four groups of preservice teachers -- those who worked with disabled individuals, at-risk youth, skill building programs, or families with special needs, reported a level of satisfaction which exceeded 4.50.

Implications and Recommendations . The high level of satisfaction, in combination with evidence of preservice teacher growth

in knowledge, skills, and attitudes, suggested that both the preservice teachers and the community representatives recognized the positive impact of a community-based service learning model. On the local level, the first recommendation was to continue to require all preservice teachers to complete PTE 290. For an institution like UNK, which is vigorously pursuing the agenda of the National Network for Educational Renewal, PTE 290 facilitates growth in the objectives of the PTE 200/290 sequence are consistent with the NNER Agenda. However, the service learning model can also be appealing for any college or university that is endeavoring to fulfill its historic mission in our democracy. Service learning is a viable model for fostering civitas while at the same time modeling and encouraging the knowledge, skills, and attitudes which are crucial to school renewal efforts.

A second recommendation was to stimulate more direct faculty involvement in community- based experiences. This is a unique kind of field experience so, faculty may question its validity -- especially if they lack sufficient first-hand knowledge of all that is entailed in a PTJ3 290 placement. For example, if college faculty visited placement sites, interacted first-hand with program participants, or more actively participated in on-campus seminars, they could better understand how to take fuller advantage of the PTE 290 experience. In particular, FTE 200 faculty could assume a greater role in selecting the instructional objectives for PTE 290 and for linking those objectives with the courses they teach.

Third, the data provided a reminder that teacher preparation institutions with prepare teachers should be adamantly intentional about placement site selection. Serious consideration should always be given to the degree to which various placements support the goals and objectives of the teacher education program. Given the goals for the PTE 200/290 sequence, the expectation

that preservice teachers have experiences which cultivate civitas and foster a greater appreciation for diversity should be boldly articulated to all community agencies and programs. The student response data especially supported the placement of preservice teachers in community programs and agencies which serve at-risk youth and disabled individuals. These two categories of placement effectively promoted professional growth and were personally satisfying.

Fourth, the amount of direct interaction between preservice teachers and the clients served by the community program or agency should be stressed. The data suggested that increasing the amount of time preservice teachers spend interacting directly with clients served by community programs or agencies was certain to be strongly supported by college faculty and also by the preservice teachers.

Fifth, this study helped us to better understand the need for, and value of, diligent study of all field experiences. Every field experience should make sense; making thoughtful connections with other components of the teacher preparation sequence is critical. This study provided a template for embarking upon similar studies which will allow better understanding of the types of experiences, areas of growth, and levels of satisfaction associated with preservice field experiences. Useful questions emerged for framing future research of PTE 290. For example, do preservice teachers continue to do community service in future years? Also, do the knowledge, skills, and attitudes fostered by community-based experiences travel with preservice teachers into their own teaching?

Conclusion

This study contributes positively to the literature which suggests that providing preservice teachers with service learning opportunities is a sound pedagogical strategy for promoting the types of growth which should be acquired during their programs of study. Ideally, the benefits will be long term as the skills and perceptions needed to effectively implement the service learning process are very similar to the skills teachers need to facilitate change and improvement of P-12 schools. In conclusion, the incorporation of service learning into preservice teacher education provides colleges of education with a unique opportunity to be at the cutting-edge of school improvement efforts while at the same time nurturing a commitment to service (Erickson & Anderson, 1997). This service fulfills Goodlad’s (1997) reminder that all Americans must learn to “transcend self in a democratic society.”

Dennis Potthoff is Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Professional Teacher Education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Julie Dinsmore is Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Karen Eifler is Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Portland.

Geraldine Stirtz, Lecturer in the Department of Professional Teacher Education is coordinator of the Human Services Field Experience in the Department of Professional Teacher Education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Tom Walsh is Associate Professor in the Department of Professional Teacher Education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Jane Ziebarth is Assistant Professor in the Department of Professional Teacher Education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

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