Changes in Pre-service Teachers Perceptions’ of Tea cher Qualities: Development from Egocentric to Student Centric

This study looks at pre-service teachers’ developing perceptions wit h a view to supporting teacher education practices. In determining and guiding program structures it is the opinions of the experts that are most often heard. Absent from this debate is an understanding of the changing perceptions of the pre-service teacher as they progress through their program. The purpose of this paper is to extend our understanding of pre-service teacher belief systems’ highlighting, the relevance this has for understanding and supporting pre-service teacher development. The perceptions of valued teacher qualities changed from ego-centric beliefs to student centric practices for the participants in this study . Effective teacher education makes connections between perceptions and new ideas, building on existing conceptual frameworks. Findings from this study contribute to the discourse on how pre-service teachers construct and reframe their beliefs about ‘good’ teachers as they progress from pre-service teacher to graduate teacher.