The authors review the elements of traditional student teacher internship programs that undermine the students' development of teaching skills. Communication among the supervising and cooperating teachers and the student teacher must be effective. Suggestions for establishing a successful relationship are given. (JL)

This article examines the contextual supervision (CS) model that has been developed and applied in several practicum settings of teacher education programs over the past 12 years. The study synthesizes the research findings on the potential effectiveness of CS in assisting faculty supervisors and classroom cooperating teachers with the task of…

This paper describes and assesses research in preservice teacher education conducted in Canada over the past 15 years and identifies priorities for improving its quality. It concludes that future research requires understanding the content of teacher education, the options open to planners, and the conceptualizations driving teacher preparation.…

Three cooperating teacher-student teacher dyads identified as "most effective" and three dyads identified as "least effective" were compared and contrasted to determine characteristics that distinguished the more from the least effective experiences. Ten quantitatively scored instruments, administered to both cooperating teachers and student…

A descriptive study examined in detail the student teaching experience in terms of the characteristics and behaviors of cooperating teachers, student teachers, and university supervisors. The interactions, personal and professional, between and among these participants were analyzed, as well as the contexts of the schools and universities in which…

It is widely accepted that laboratory experiences are both necessary and worthwhile for preservice teacher education. Research has shown little evidence of what exactly happens during student teaching, although studies have illuminated roles and objectives. Guidance in or supervision of field experiences for student teachers often falls primarily…

This paper provides a synthesis of research on aspects of student teaching as they relate to transfer of teaching skills to the classroom. The report highlights major dimensions of student teaching, such as specific training interventions (microteaching and simulation), the ecological context of student teaching (involving the cooperating teacher,…