Physical Education Student Teacher Perceptions about Feedback Received from Supervisors

Background/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the student teachers’ perceptions on the feedback they receive from their cooperative teacher and university supervisors.  The research questions addressed in the study were: a) Student teachers’ perception about the feedback he/she receives from his/her cooperative teacher and university supervisor is it effective on improving his/her performance while developing as teachers? b) What criteria is emphasized when the cooperative teacher and university supervisor give feedback to the student teacher? and c) Who provides better feedback while student teaching, the cooperative teacher or the university supervisor?

Method: The participants of this study were five student teachers from the Physical Education Department of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, who completed surveys, daily reflections and interviews that focused on the feedback that was given by the cooperative teacher and the university supervisor. Six categories emerged from the data: performance, evaluation, level of comfort, teaching areas, feedback effectiveness and desired feedback.  

Analysis/Results: According to the results, the words and phrases used by the student teachers to describe the cooperative teacher’s feedback were: poor performance, neutral, not helpful and does not execute his/her job.  When referring to the university supervisor’s feedback, they describe it as very helpful and excellent performance.

Conclusions:  Student teachers’ perceptions on the university supervisor’s main focus on feedback directed toward of grammar from the daily plan, class organization, time of the task, how the task is instructed, group control, maximum participation, transition and the execution of the student teacher as a teacher.  Results of the cooperative teachers feedback showed that the feedback offered was emphasizes on the initial activity, development and time of the class, group control, time on tasks and the execution of the student teacher as a teacher.  According to the student teachers’ perceptions, the cooperative teacher does not offer them the necessary feedback to improve in the class room.  When comparing the university supervisor he/she does offer the feedback required to improve and develop the student teacher as a teacher.