The student teaching experience : a qualitative examination

This study examined the experience of three secondary science student teachers from Western Oregon State College in Monmouth, Oregon during the Spring quarter of 1990. The question was: What is student teaching like from the point of view of the student teacher? The research methodology was qualitative, more specifically participant observation, prolonged engagement, and using the Constant Comparative Model. Data sources included audio taped journals from the student teachers, transcribed audio tapes from seminars, video tapes of teaching, rich descriptions from field notes made by the researcher, a journal from one cooperating teacher, and a journal kept by the researcher. Analysis of the data set produced 81 coding categories. A data set was marked, cut and filed under these coding categories. Patterns and generalizations were drawn from the categorized data set. The three student teachers had widely varied experiences. The analysis of data resulted in the generation of seven hypotheses concerning student teaching. They were as follows: 1. Student teachers react to the student teaching experience differently. 2. The student teaching experience may be so complex that a total, Gestalt, understanding of it is not possible. 3. For some student teachers, there is a critical point, called The Wall. 4. The nature of the critical point and the outcomes of the experience vary greatly among the student teachers. 5. Student teachers need a support group or support individual available during the student teaching experience. 6. The cooperating teacher(s) is/are a stronger influence on the student teacher than is the college supervisor. 7. The predictors for success in student teaching that were used in this study are likely unreliable

Equity and diversity in astronomy

`Why is there a black hole where women should be?' asked Member of Parliament Chi Onwurah during her plenary talk on women in science at EWASS 2018. Gender equity was among a variety of topics discussed in a day-long Special Session