Transition to Teaching (T3)
T3 has a large focus on teachers – who they are, how they develop, who they become, how they can be most effective. By following teachers throughout their teacher-training program and their transition into the classroom, we aim to highlight the characteristics of highly effective teachers. This will allow us to best support and prepare teachers in their own development as they transition out of college into the profession.
The Transition to Teaching Study (T3) follows Arizona State University teacher candidates through their college education and into the classroom as a full-time teacher. Teacher candidates may be surveyed and observed during their course work, classroom observations, and year-long student teacher residency. Once in the classroom, T3 continues to work with teachers as they progress in the profession. T3 examines changes in teacher candidate beliefs, characteristics, and motivations over time.
The study observes qualities that teacher candidates bring to the table, such as temperament, and those that develop or change over time, such as attitudes and beliefs. The goal of T3 is to identify markers of strong teacher candidates early in their education. T3 observes how education, professional and personal experiences influence teacher beliefs, behaviors, and outcomes. The study observes qualities that teacher candidates bring to the table, such as temperament, and those that develop or change over time, such as attitudes and beliefs. The goal of T3 is to identify markers of strong teacher candidates early in their education. T3 observes how education, professional and personal experiences influence teacher beliefs, behaviors, and outcomes.
Classroom Competence Composition (C3)
C3 is couched in the influence of classrooms and peers. Research includes how an accumulation of assets or risks in a given classroom can influence individual-level well-being and performance, what a teacher's role may be within a classroom with a specific aggregation of children, and the influence of a classroom environment for children new to school. Through C3, we aim to provide resources that support teachers to successfully instruct mainstream classrooms of diverse learning.
The Classroom Competence Composition Study (C3) examines the ways in which the make-up of the early elementary classroom affects student outcomes and teacher practice. The influence of the classroom context, including teacher-student relationships, on student outcomes is widely acknowledged. However, much less is known about how the compositional structure of the classroom affects student development and even less is known about how the classroom composition influences teaching behavior.
As an example, a small body of existing research, as well as anecdotal knowledge, indicate that classes with a high proportion of children who have difficulty regulating themselves, paying attention, or who are not prepared to make the transition to formal schooling, present a challenge to teachers and their peers. In this classroom, child behavior may be influenced directly through modeling and social learning. Additionally, such a classroom likely affects students indirectly as teachers spend disproportionately more time managing behavior or academic issues, resulting in less time devoted to normative grade-level instruction.
Kindergarten and early elementary education is a critical period of child development. Children's classroom context and experiences with teachers in the early years have been demonstrated to affect achievement and social competence at least through middle school. This, combined with evidence pointing to the relative stability of children's behavioral and achievement trajectories over time, suggests that the experiences transpiring during early schooling set the stage for lifelong learning habits. As a result, children may be especially susceptible to the influence of their peers during this time, which could have long lasting impacts on a child's developmental trajectory.
For all of these reasons, we have developed the C3 study to answer important questions about how classroom composition influences students and teachers in the early years of formal schooling.
Starting School Successfully (S3)
Our team is working to assist Kindergarten children, educators, and families in understanding what is necessary to start school successfully. S3 considers the role of parents, families, and home socialization during the transition to school. S3 extends and applies our work in meaningful ways that serve students, teacher and families.