Abstracts - Earli

current attempts to define academic work in terms of narrow performance standards and currentapproaches to academic development will be questioned in relation the findings.B 1628 August 2007 17:30 - 18:50Room: 1.60Paper SessionTeacher professional developmentChair:Pnevmatikos Dimitris, University of Western Macedonia, GreecePredicting teachers’ satisfaction with supervision instructional programsNir Adam, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IsraelBogler Ronit, The Open University, IsraelThis study aims to expand our understanding on how teachers’ preferences regarding supervisioninstructional programs and their perceptions about their work affect their level of satisfaction withthe programs. Based on a sample of 841 teachers employed in 118 elementary schools, regressionanalyses were conducted to determine which variables that are related to teachers’ instructionalprograms and to teachers’ self-perceptions, best predict their satisfaction with the programs. Thefindings demonstrate that the main factors affecting teachers’ satisfaction with the instructionalprograms are related to their preferences to maintain instructional processes "close to home".Consequently, we conclude that teachers’ satisfaction with the programs is closely related to theirability to design the programs in accordance with their needs.Changing teaching practice mentors’ conceptions of supporting student teachers’ learning ininternshipsKreis Annelies, University of Teacher Education Thurgau, SwitzerlandFritz C. Staub, Departement of Education, University of Fribourg, SwitzerlandInternships are a traditional element in the programs of Swiss universities of teacher education,and teaching practice mentors therefore play a pivotal role. Models of reflective practice (e.g.Putnam & Borko, 2000) view the role of a mentor as being a competent and critical companion.Content-Focused Coaching (West & Staub, 2003) suggests a more active and collaborative role formentors during the planning and enactment of lessons with an emphasis on pedagogical contentknowledge (Shulman, 1987). As part of a quasi-experimental multi-method study an interventionwith mentors (primary school grade 1-6) was implemented on the basis of Content-FocusedCoaching. This paper focuses on one of the major aims of the intervention: changing mentors’conceptions on how to support student teachers’ learning. Before and subsequent to theintervention, conceptions of 16 mentors of a control group and 15 mentors of the interventiongroup have been investigated by means of an extensive questionnaire. It covers mentors’ views oftheir role, their ways of assisting student teachers’ learning, the frequency of issues raised in preandpost-lesson conferences and the temporal organisation of lesson conferences. Results showthat intervention and control group did not differ significantly in the pre-test. In the control groupthere were no significant changes between pre- and post-test data. Mentors in the interventiongroup, however, manifested significant changes: pre-lesson conferences are more strongly– 102 –