Student Teachers Are Watching: What Are They Seeing?

Authors

• Sarah J. Kaka, Ohio Wesleyan UniversityFollow
• Taylor M. Kessner, SUNY GeneseoFollow

Author ORCID Identifier(s)

Sarah Jane Kaka 0000-0001-5992-9373

Taylor Kessner 0000-0001-5265-4127

Keywords

student teachers, methods of instruction, social studies

Abstract

This article examines the apprenticeship of observation that shapes preservice social studies teachers during clinical placements. Grounded in Lortie’s apprenticeship of observation and Bourdieu’s habitus, we draw on classroom observations collected by student teachers across several states. Findings suggest that cooperating teachers most often modeled traditional, teacher-centered instruction, including lecture and textbook-based work, while offering fewer examples of inquiry, discussion, or primary-source analysis. We argue that these everyday observations shape preservice teachers’ professional dispositions and that teacher educators, cooperating teachers, and field personnel should more intentionally provide access to ambitious, student-centered social studies practice.

DOI

10.15760/nwjte.2026.1.1

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Kaka, Sarah J. and Kessner, Taylor M. (2026) "Student Teachers Are Watching: What Are They Seeing?," Northwest Journal of Teacher Education: Vol. 21 : Iss. 1 , Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15760/nwjte.2026.1.1