Themes, Subthemes, Codes.xlsx

Teacher education programs are tasked with the critical work of preparing educators to teach K-12 students content area knowledge and skills so that these students are prepared for life after school. Equipping these candidates before they enter the field with instructional strategies backed by decades of cognitive research is one route to foster student learning. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the experiences of graduates from teacher education programs in the Western U.S. regarding cognitive learning strategy instruction. The research involved 12 participants all of whom taught in K-12 schools. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, and a focus group. Common themes include the extent to which teacher education programs included cognitive learning strategies, graduates' misunderstandings of these strategies, and the effectiveness of programs in preparing teachers to support student learning. The study highlights areas for improvement in integrating cognitive learning strategies into teacher education curricula and offers implications for practice.