ERIC Number: EJ1101012
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2292-8588
EISSN: N/A
Impacts of a Redesigned Virtual Internship Program on Preservice Teachers' Skills and Attitudes
Faucette, Nell; Nugent, Peg
International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education, v30 n2 2015
An important issue in teacher education is how to design and implement effective virtual internships for future educators. Today, these experiences should reflect best practices (as found in more traditional programs) by infusing constructivist values and strategies into the process. Interns can develop needed content knowledge and delivery skills through active learning in authentic, real-world environments. In this study, teacher specialists redesigned a virtual internship for senior physical education majors after evaluating a prior program considered inadequate (due to poor student outcomes and satisfaction levels). Using the literature, the specialists redesigned the experience to reflect constructivist assumptions during a summer orientation seminar and fall internship. Eight of 16 interns volunteered to participate in the research project to identify changes in their attitudes and expectations for the internship. During the summer seminar, interns served as curricular evaluation teams to review, analyze, and reconstruct the course they would be delivering to high school students. During the fall internship, pairs of interns met twice weekly with cooperating teachers. Using a web-conferencing program, they experienced authentic learning featured in these sessions. Results indicated that, after these experiences, interns felt more knowledgeable, capable, and enthusiastic about online teaching.
Descriptors: Internship Programs, Program Effectiveness, Instructional Design, Online Courses, Preservice Teachers, Preservice Teacher Education, Teaching Skills, Student Teacher Attitudes, Physical Education, Majors (Students), Specialists, Constructivism (Learning), Summer Programs, Orientation, Attitude Change, Expectation, Curriculum Evaluation, Curriculum Development, Teleconferencing, Web Based Instruction, Self Esteem, Semi Structured Interviews, Surveys, Data Analysis, Physical Education Teachers, Qualitative Research, Phenomenology
Canadian Network for Innovation in Education. 260 Dalhousie Street Suite 204, Ottawa, ON K1N 7E4, Canada. Tel: 613-241-0018; Fax: 613-241-0019; e-mail: journalofde@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.ijede.ca/index.php/jde
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A