ORCID

0009-0000-9806-1474

Keywords

student teaching, placement process, organizational factors, descriptive case study, teacher education program

Subject Categories

Curriculum and Instruction | Educational Leadership | Teacher Education and Professional Development

Abstract

Student teaching is a prominent and required learning experience in most teacher education programs. The learning that takes place in student teaching blends pedagogy with practice. However, not all student teaching placements provide positive learning experiences for student teachers. This descriptive case study examines the organizational factors that affect the process of student teacher placement at K-12 classroom sites by one teacher education program. For this case study, one teacher education program in the southeastern United States was selected as the case site, and the case for this study is the process of student teacher placement. Semi-structured interviews, observation, and document analysis are conducted to provide a thorough depiction of the process of student teacher placement within one semester. This study utilizes the theoretical framework of organizational factors by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal (2021) to further describe the process of placement. The theoretical framework provides four frames, each as a lens, for viewing factors within an organization: structural, human resource, political, and symbolic. Findings described multiple factors that affected the process of placement in all four frames. However, the political frame factors had the greatest and most irreversible effects on the process of placement of student teachers at K-12 classroom sites.

Completion Date

2026

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Olan, Elsie

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Department

Department of Learning Sciences and Educational Research

Format

PDF

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

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