VALUE ORIENTATIONS OF PRESERVICE TEACHERS

Curriculum theorists have acknowledged the critical role that beliefs and values play in the decisions that teachers make, but very little i s known about how teachers' value profiles develop. The purpose of thi s investigation was to examine the educational value orientations of a group of physical education preservice teachers (N=16) enrolled in an elementary methods course and to investigate the link between value p rofiles and teacher behaviors. Value profiles were assessed using the Value Orientation Inventory (Ennis & Hooper, 1988). The results indica ted that teachers in training entered field-based experiences with def ined value profiles, but that these profiles were not stable construct s. Priorities within competing value orientations fluctuated over the course of a semester. Possible explanations for the changes that occur red and implications for teacher education programs are discussed.