First Advisor

McConnell, Christy

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

5-2018

Department

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Teacher Education, Teacher Education Student Work

Embargo Date

8-21-2020

Abstract

This study is an exploration of ten faculty perceptions of the perceived influence of an ecological or place based focus in three teacher education programs. The qualities and characteristics of such programs, the influence that such a focus could have on curriculum, and the perceptions of faculty members regarding the interactions between the physical place in which the program resides and curriculum were of particular interest to this study. These questions are investigated by using an educational connoisseurship and criticism methodology. The qualities and characteristics of ecologically focused teacher education programs include immersion and integration, mentorship and reflection, and connection to “local knowledge” (Demarest, 2015). Faculty in the programs studied noted that their perceptions of their programs include an attention to place responsiveness, transfer, and affective domains. The implications of this study include how other teacher education programs can benefit from the utilization of this type of teacher education, the extension of the idea of ecological mindedness (McConnell Moroye & Ingman, 2017) from K-12 into teacher education and development, as well as addition of Place as another dimension of Eisner’s Ecology of Schooling (1976).

Extent

238 pages

Local Identifiers

Wright_unco_0161D_10657

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

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