Preservice teachers' beliefs about young adolescents and their impact on grade level teaching preference.

Abstract

Middle level education programs need qualified, specifically trained teachers to best address the needs of their young adolescent learners. However, despite extensive information as to what constitutes appropriate middle level teacher preparation, there remains a shortage of specifically educated middle level educators. This study seeks to determine if that shortage is impacted by the beliefs that education majors have of young adolescents. Having validated knowledge of preservice teachers' beliefs about young adolescents and how those beliefs affect their choice of teaching level allows teacher education programs to design experiences that address these beliefs, or may encourage educators to address other reasons for the specifically educated middle level teacher shortage. It also seeks to examine whether preservice teachers' beliefs about young adolescents are impacted by the existence of a state requirement of middle level teacher certification. The major findings indicate that preservice teachers in both locales hold an overall stereotypically negative view of about young adolescents which is not impacted by the state licensure requirement. The study also reveals a greater sense of self-efficacy for teaching at the middle level evidenced by preservice teachers enrolled in a specific middle level teacher preparation program.