Flexible or Rigid? Exploring Preservice Teachers’ Classroom Preferences

Abstract

Understanding preservice teachers’ (PSTs) classroom preferences offers the potential to inform school hiring and reduce early career turnover. This large-scale qualitative study (n = 2,798) explores rich PST responses to the open-ended survey item: “Describe a classroom setting in which you would enjoy teaching.” Results indicate three categories of characteristics (classroom setting, pedagogical strategies, and student characteristics) and from those categories, two contrasting profiles. Flexible PSTs focus more on implementing their perception of effective pedagogy in any context. Rigid PSTs believe certain school, classroom, or student characteristics would facilitate their success. Categories meaningfully varied by certification level but not by gender or ethnicity. Findings advise teacher education to prepare PSTs toward effective pedagogy and district screening characteristics for improved hiring.

Keywords

qualitative research teacher characteristics teacher context teacher education/development teacher knowledge

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