The College of Education announces the final dissertation defense of

Casey Gilewski

for the degree of Doctor of Education

June 17, 2016 at 10:00 am in 405 Ball Hall

Major Advisor: Nicole Thompson, PhD

PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ BELIEFS: AN EXAMINATION OF HOW TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES SHAPE THEIR BELIEFS ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING

ABSTRACT:
This narrative inquiry study focused on examining how traditional and non-traditional preservice teachers’ educational experiences shape their beliefs about teaching and learning. A demographic survey, metaphors, and life story interviews were conducted to elicit narratives of their educational experiences to determine who or what shaped their beliefs about teaching and learning. Regardless of their college entry level, findings suggest that the preservice teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning were shaped by specific people, such as family and teachers, and experiences in their lives. The only difference among preservice teachers was life experiences of the nontraditional preservice teachers.