The Impact of the Student Teaching Experience on the Development of Teacher Perspectives

Questions persist, according to the authors, with respect to how much influence student teaching plays in the teacher socializa tion process. Some researchers, such as Lortie, argue that the socialization of teachers occurs largely through the internaliza tion of teacher models experienced during the thousands of hours that individuals spend as pupils in classrooms. Others suggest that the prospective teacher's latent culture is relatively unimportant, that student teaching does have a significant impact on the development of teachers — an effect which is strengthened during the early years of a teacher's career. Find ings reported in this study tend to support the latent culture perspective; however, the authors also challenge Lortie by suggesting a view of student teacher socialization that is more negotiated and interactive; findings suggest that what student teachers bring to their teaching experience gives direction to socialization but does not totally determine the outcome of the socialization process.