Four types of cooperating teachers: A synthesis of the literature

This paper sets forth four types of cooperating teachers that have been found in the teacher education literature over the past three decades. The beliefs, goals and actions of each type are described through fictional characters each working with an equally fictional student teacher. The types: absent, directive, supportive, and educative are then compared in terms of their likely outcome for the student teacher. Implications for selection and professional development of mentors and for future research are suggested.