Building Program Coherence and the (Un)intentional Clinical Experiences for First-Semester Preservice Teachers

This project was funded by an internal scholarship of teaching and learning grant awarded by the university. We recognized the importance of balancing the potential for coercion and the need for recruitment. However, we also considered the institutional uniqueness of the curriculum and the additional burden of time and travel to the school site placed upon the students. Therefore, individuals who completed the project received a gift card incentive ($50) for their participation. Thirteen secondary education minors from a large, southeastern U.S. university enrolled in the study, which was conducted in spring 2015. The study included 10 females (two Latina, one African American, and seven White) and three males (one African American and two White). Each of the participants was a first-semester teacher education minor recruited from a course preceding the minor program. Participation was voluntary. OSSEP represented the first two courses of the Minor in Secondary Education Program. As noted above, the project included two, 3-hour courses and a site-based clinical experience at Mill Town High.