Embracing to Creating Curriculum: Levels of Engagement Among Student Teachers

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the experiences, and specifically the challenges, of white elementary student teachers in an urban setting. One of the most interesting findings from this study involved the varied levels of engagement with the school curriculum. Although every Urban Student Teacher (UST) embraced the curriculum, data showed multiple levels of involvement defined as critiquing, tinkering, and creating. While challenging, USTs who created units of study found ownership of the curriculum satisfying. The aim, then, is for teacher educators to encourage student teachers to embrace challenges that come with teaching and view them as a way to learn.