Date of Award
1-1-1992
Document Type
Practicum
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Child and Youth Care Administration
Advisor
Victoria Jean Dimidja
Committee Member
H. Rose Dawson
Keywords
checklists, cooperating teachers, developmentally appropriate practice, early childhood education, internship handbooks, internship placement, interns, questionnaires, site evaluation, site selection, student satisfaction, student teaching, teacher education, workshops
Abstract
This practicum was designed to develop a systematic method of student selection of internship placement sites in early childhood education which demonstrate developmentally appropriate practices, students were provided guidelines on selecting an appropriate placement as well as an inventory to use in evaluating potential sites.
The writer developed the following tools for the practicum: 1) guidelines for site selection; 2) an internship handbook; 3) two workshops for cooperating teachers on developmentally appropriate practices; 4) a site evaluation form for students to complete at the end of their placement; 5) checklist for cooperating teachers; and 6) a questionnaire on the success and appropriateness of placements, which was administered to previous interns as well as those involved in the practicum.
Analysis of the date revealed that the students were able to select developmentally appropriate placements and that they were able to identify both appropriate and inappropriate practices in the classroom. Student satisfaction was such that each student recommended her placement to future students.