Pre-education reflections of online and face-to-face clinical experiences

• Main Authors: Carolyn Casale (Author), C. Adrainne Thomas (Author), Ahlam Alma Bazzi (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Emerald Publishing, 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.1108/SUP-08-2023-0028; 2833-2075; 1935-7125
• Keywords: Reflective practices; Online and face-to-face clinical; Pre-education; Education; L
• Source: School-University Partnerships, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 10-19 (2024)

Purpose - This research study provides insight into students' perceptions of teaching through virtual and face-to-face clinicals in an introductory education course in a pre-education program at a minority-serving institution. Design/methodology/approach - This study took place at an urban-suburban-centered community college in the Midwestern United States and was reviewed by the higher education institutional review board (IRB). Data were collected from pre-education majors enrolled in a four-hour Introduction to Education with field experiences. Findings - The findings indicated that both virtual and face-to-face clinicals were beneficial to the development of pre-service teachers, particularly in an early introduction to education course. Research limitations/implications - The finding that virtual clinicals are significant to teacher growth is significant to teacher recruitment and preparation. Practical implications - The flexibility of a virtual clinical provides greater opportunities for low-income and marginalized populations with limited means and access. Social implications - This finding can lead to strategies to diversify teacher candidates. Originality/value - This study sought to answer the following question: how do pre-education students reflect to understand the roles and responsibilities of teaching through virtual options vs face-to-face clinicals? The interest of this research is to expand pathways into the teaching profession to nontraditional, ethnically and culturally marginalized groups and historically underrepresented groups.