A Slippery Rock University faculty member is a leading researcher into the effectiveness of teacher preparation models who was recognized for her student-centered approach and collaborative achievements.
Amy Orville, SRU assistant professor of curriculum, instruction and educational leadership, received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (PAC-TE). Orville was recognized for her doctoral dissertation that she completed while earning her Doctor of Education in educational leadership and administration from SRU in 2023 before joining the faculty in the College of Education.
“Slippery Rock University was founded on being a teaching school, so the fact that we are making a splash in so many different areas of our field is really exciting,” Orville said.
Orville’s dissertation, titled “Recommendations for Improving Traditional Elementary Student Teaching Experiences Through Co-Teaching Models in Pennsylvania Schools,” details her dedication to advancing quality educator preparation.
Her research examined how co-teaching models can enhance student teaching experiences within Pennsylvania schools through research, collaboration and advocacy.
“Instead of the ‘sink or swim’ model where our student teachers gradually get a release of responsibility in the classroom until the end of the semester, when they have full responsibility under their cooperating teacher, we tried switching to a co-teaching model where our student teachers co-teach the entire 16 weeks with their cooperating teacher,” Orville explained.
Her findings emphasize that, while implementing a non-traditional 16-week co-teaching model presents challenges, the benefits to both teacher candidates and K–12 learners are substantial.
Orville’s work highlights how pairing student teachers with experienced cooperating teachers can provide increased instructional time and immediate opportunities for practice.
“I am a student-centered teacher at heart,” Orville said. “Since I’m student-centered, it’s so cool to see the ripple effect of something I’m passionate about and the research that we’re doing help future teachers and make them stronger for their students.”
Her research has also been published in PAC-TE’s peer-reviewed journal, the Pennsylvania Teacher Educator, contributing to the growing body of scholarship supporting innovative approaches to teacher preparation.
Orville recently partnered with the SGA Preschool and Early Childhood Center to present early learning practices at the 2025 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference.
Orville and lead preschool teacher Julia Williamson, ’06, ’09M, presented their collaborative work in a session titled “Start Small, Think Big: Introducing AI in Early Education” at the conference in Orlando, Florida. The pair discussed how SRU’s on-campus Early Childhood Center uses artificial intelligence tools to support creativity and digital literacy among young children.
Orville and Williamson were also invited to present remotely at the 2025 Bright Start conference, an international program hosted in London and Abu Dhabi.
“I’m grateful for the rich collaboration that happens here because not every university has this experience,” Orville said. “We’re truly blessed at Slippery Rock to be able to do what we do.”
More information about the College of Education is available on the SRU website.
