Teachers as Learners: Impacts of Graduate Teachers Education Programs’ Features on In-Service Teachers’ Practices

Abstract

Significant research efforts have addressed the need for pursuing graduate teacher education to improve in-service teachers’ teaching practices. On contrary, empirical knowledge about the impacts of structural and process features of graduate teacher education on in-service teachers’ teaching practices is underdeveloped. This proposed study was designed to contribute to an empirically driven knowledge about the degree to which graduate teacher education programs support in-service teachers’ classroom needs and guide them diligently to deal with professional challenges. Mixed methodology approach including survey questionnaire (quantitative) and interview (qualitative) was used, and 34 in-service from 15 different teacher education programs of five different Upper Midwest states responded to the survey questionnaire. However, only two teachers participated in the interview process. Quantitative data from survey questionnaire revealed that most teacher participants perceived that graduate teacher education program had positive impact on their teaching practices.