Using concept maps of effective teaching as a tool in supervision

This study used concept maps to investigate changes in student teachers' beliefs regarding teacher effectiveness as they progressed through student teaching. The mappings enabled future teachers to identify and examine their beliefs and were a resource for the supervisor. Instructional items and social/interpersonal factors were consistently prominent on premaps and postmaps. Statistically significant increases in the proportion of classroom management and curriculum/planning entries from premap to postmap were found. Features of the premaps were not associated with assessments of the student teachers' teaching practice at the close of the practicum. However, postmap characteristics were moderately correlated with components teaching performance (i.e., planning, implementation of instruction, evaluation of learners, cooperation, and dependability). Postmaps that contained proportionally more classroom management and curriculum/planning items were found for student teachers who received the highest ratings in student teaching.