Mutually Beneficial Collaborative Initiatives between Elementary Schools and A University Teacher Preparation Program

Abstract

This chapter presents a university’s School of Education partnership with three local elementary schools to provide learning and professional development opportunities for all stakeholders. Impacting student learning is the main goal of these collaborative endeavors, regardless of age. University pre-service educators perform a variety of activities with elementary students to extend hands-on learning experience beyond their coursework. Experiences focus on mutually beneficial activities for both parties which fulfills each one’s mission and vision for impacting student learning on both the elementary level and the teacher preparation program. Professional development includes activities that involve teacher-to-teacher initiatives that may be designed for teachers by teachers to share teaching strategies; research, both qualitative and quantitative, involving practitioners in the field using student-centered and innovative new instructional ideas in the classroom developing toolkits of best practices. Qualitative approaches are taken through interviews and teacher perceptions through the process and product of each professional development activity.

Citation

Bojko-Jeewek, J.R. (2017), "Mutually Beneficial Collaborative Initiatives between Elementary Schools and A University Teacher Preparation Program", University Partnerships for Pre-Service and Teacher Development (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 10), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 73-91. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120170000010005