Differential Effects of Feedback on Preservice Teacher Behavior

Abstract

While most undergraduate training programs employ traditional training procedures, the quality of teacher preparedness continues to be widely criticized. Although numerous research studies have demonstrated the positive effects of certain teaching practices, training programs have been slow to incorporate them into the curricula. It is possible to evaluate certain teaching behaviors objectively and use the resultant performance feedback both as an instructional tool and a measure of professional development. This study evaluated the relative effectiveness of two forms of performance feedback: traditional field notes and computer-based feedback. The results demonstrated that computer-based feedback specific to a set of teacher behaviors was more effective than the traditional field note approach.