The Investigation of Interns', Teachers', and Principals' Perceptions of Preparedness in Elementary Education

Abstract

Forty to 50 percent of teachers are leaving the teaching profession in their first five years due to a lack of confidence and a feeling of incompetence when trying to meet the needs of their students in the classroom (Ingersoll, 2007; Kersaint, 2005: Darling-Hammond, Chung, & Frelow, 2002). While teacher attrition is going up, student achievement is coming down (Duncan, 2010). This study investigated the perceptions of elementary interns, cooperating teachers, and principals on the preparedness of the elementary interns when they entered their internships. In this study, the researcher was looking for ways to tweak teacher preparation programs, so that interns, and later classroom teachers, would be more confident and competent in helping their students achieve in the classroom. The data from this investigation revealed that there was a need among the elementary interns to have more knowledge and skills in several areas including Special Education, English Language Learners, Classroom Management, Writing, Differentiation, and Field Experiences.