Urban Community Study by Preservice Teachers

Abstract

This study determined urban community perspectives on quality education and constructed advice for beginning classroom teachers. Participant observers were 26 graduate teacher candidates. First, "expert groups " of students with the same study (e.g., churches, youth gang task force, Urban League, neighborhood arts council, teen pregnancy program, family adoption) presented findings. Next, jigsaw teams composed of experts from different study groups (faced two questions from the urban community: "What is good education?" and "What does the community expect teachers to do in classrooms?" Significant themes and examples were extracted and organized. Chief among these were (a) identification of value of community study, (b) differences between community members who are well served by schools and those who are not, (c) expectations of community for urban educators, and (d) student teacher views changed as a result of study. Observers found two distinct populations with considerably different views. Some are well served by schools; others are not.

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