The development of ambitious instruction: How beginning elementary teachers’ preparation experiences are associated with their mathematics and English language arts instructional practices

• Published in: Teaching and teacher education Vol. 110; p. 103576
• Main Authors: Youngs, Peter, Elreda, Lauren Molloy, Anagnostopoulos, Dorothea, Cohen, Julie, Drake, Corey, Konstantopoulos, Spyros
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2022
• Subjects: Elementary teacher preparation; English language arts instruction; Mathematics instruction; Opportunity to learn; Mathematics instruction; Elementary teacher preparation; English language arts instruction; Opportunity to learn
• ISSN: 0742-051X; 1879-2480
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2021.103576

This study of 83 graduates from 5 elementary teacher education programs found that elementary candidates' opportunities to learn general teaching methods were positively associated with their enactment as first-year teachers of ambitious mathematics and English language arts (ELA) practices. Opportunities to practice content-specific instructional strategies during student teaching were positively associated with first-year teachers' enactment of ambitious mathematics practices, but negatively associated with classroom management in mathematics and disciplinary demand in ELA. First-year teachers' classroom management was positively associated with enactment of ambitious instruction in both subjects. In sum, we identify several learning opportunities that support first-year teachers’ ambitious instruction. •This study followed 83 elementary candidates through their first year of teaching.•We investigated learning opportunities in pre-service courses and student teaching.•We examined first-year teachers' enactment of ambitious mathematics and ELA instruction.•We used PLATO to assess enactment of ambitious instruction in both subjects.