A Comparison of Classroom Decision-Making Strategies by Three Groups of Preservice Teachers

• Main Author: Nuccio, Eugene J
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 01.03.1989
• Subjects: Computer Simulation; Decision Making; Field Experience Programs; Higher Education; Preservice Teacher Education; Problem Solving; Student Teaching; Teacher Behavior; Teaching Experience

Numerous studies suggest that field experiences focus student attention on short-term survival strategies; they do not provide a systematic investigation of alternative theories of learning and instruction. Students attend to management techniques but do not develop a more reflective approach to instruction. If this is so, students at different points of their preservice preparation should exhibit differing abilities to make classroom and/or management decisions when compared with experienced teachers and each other. Three groups of students were the subjects of this study: one group prior to any field experiences, one after experiences but before student teaching, and one after student teaching. A computer simulation of classroom decision-making situations was used to assess the differential effect of preservice field experiences on classroom decision-making. The results of the study generally support the notion that field experiences do provide measurable changes in the decision-making effectiveness of preservice teachers. The groups in the study differed most frequently on resolving a problem with a group of students who could not work together effectively. The students who were without field experience were less successful and took longer to deal with the problem than did their more experienced peers. (JD)