ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR TEACHER WELLNESS: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FROM WHICH TO STUDY SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE PROMOTION OF WELLNESS AMONG STUDENT AND PRESERVICE TEACHERS
DR. JONATHAN L. BLACK-BRANCH AND DR. WENDY K. LAMONT
DOI: 10.2190/FX8D-JQPN-7FPL-5K6R
Abstract
The primary purpose of this article is to present a conceptual framework from which to study the area of support services for students attending colleges of education. It is the final article in a series exploring the literature in the area and the antepenultimate in the series of eight articles in this broader project on support services and student teacher wellness. Specifically, the most important components of the literature come together to formulate a framework for examining and promoting wellness among student teachers. Discussed in depth in previous articles, here a condensed version of the literature is presented to build a comprehensive framework. Topics discussed are: teacher wellness as a rationale for the provision of support services to student teachers; promoting wellness in teacher education programs; specific attributes and characteristics of students in teacher education programmes; early field experiences had by students prior to entering teacher education programs, including the length and/or intensity of the field experience; and the attributes of the director of field experiences. Beyond the framework, which practitioners can use to reflect upon and assess their respective programs, research questions are presented and a survey questionnaire instrument is formulated in preparation of a broader U.S.-wide study for comparative data.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.