The good teacher and good teaching: Comparing beliefs of second-grade students, preservice teachers, and inservice teachers

Most teacher educators would agree that one of the primary goals of a teacher preparation program is to teach individuals how to become good teachers. What is open to debate is exactly what characteristics define good teachers. Although there is a vast literature on good teaching, few studies have compared the beliefs of individuals at various educational levels using a variety of investigative techniques. The purpose of this study was to explore second-grade students', preservice teachers', and inservice teachers' beliefs about good teachers and good teaching by using a combination of survey, drawing, and interview tasks. Results indicated that beliefs about good teaching seem to be formed at an early age with clear distinctions between second-grade students and inservice teachers. By comparison, the preservice teachers seemed to possess beliefs that mirrored both the second graders and inservice teachers. Implications for research, teaching, and teacher education are discussed.