Background/Purpose The purpose of this case study was to explore student teachers' experiences in an urban placement. Student teaching has a profound impact on teaching behaviors and retention of teachers than purported by teacher preparation programs. Preservice teachers enter their preparation programs with strong beliefs about what it means to teach in an urban setting, and these beliefs are influenced by their educational, economic, and cultural experiences. Investigating student teachers' experiences in an urban setting has the potential to provide valuable insights into whether the context enabled and/or constrained opportunities for preservice teacher learning.
Method Five Caucasian preservice health and physical education student teachers' (4 males and 1 female) were the participants in this study. Data were collected through formal interviews and self-reflective papers.
Analysis/Results Data were analyzed using analytic induction and constant comparison. The findings indicated preservice students faced multiple challenges in relation to race, culture, and community due to their beliefs and different life experiences. This was further exacerbated through a lack of congruence between what was learned in the preparation program and what was experienced. Finally, preservice teachers did gain more knowledge of students and urban contexts but little knowledge about students as learners in those contexts.
Conclusions The results from this investigation indicate that urban placement can enable and/or constrain opportunities for preservice teacher learning. How preservice student teachers perform and learn in an urban setting is vitally important as it could potentially determine the retention or attrition of teachers from the teaching profession.