THE ALIENATION OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION STUDENTS - A CASE-STUDY OF A CANADIAN UNIVERSITY

This study explores student teachers' perceptions of a Faculty of Education. A content analysis was conducted of open-ended comments from a sample of student teachers at a large Canadian university. Over 90% of these comments reflect the student teachers' experiences which are interpreted in terms of three dimensions of alienation-powerlessness, meaninglessness, and self-estrangement. These experiences are seen as the antithesis of the organizational conditions that are necessary for effective professional socialization. The extensiveness and consistency of the student teachers' comments suggest that the organizational conditions provided by the faculty should be improved so that the student teachers are more adequately socialized.