This handbook offers guidelines for the university supervisor, methods instructor, and cooperating teacher in providing a productive clinical experience for elementary school education majors at Lewis University (Illinois). Procedures and responsibilities of each of the triad's members are outlined. General guidelines are presented on elements…

This handbook offers guidelines for the university supervisor, methods instructor, and cooperating teacher in providing a productive clinical experience for secondary school education majors at Lewis University (Illinois). General guidelines are presented on elements that pertain to all clinical experiences, such as classroom observation; planning…

The new elementary education program for prospective teachers at the State University of New York at Oswego focuses on the structure of human learning. The program has three tracks for students to choose from, each consisting of: (1) the foundations semester; (2) the unit; and (3) field experience. In the foundations semester, students work on…

Western Illinois University's College of Education and Human Services is redesigning its undergraduate teacher education program. The program places volunteer freshmen in real classrooms for long-term observations and volunteer assistance, eventually leading up to a full range of teaching opportunities. Also, coursework is presented in an…

A rationale is presented for including a prestudent teaching field experience component for future teachers of elementary school mathematics. Problems are discussed and arguments in the program's favor are given. Indiana University's Mathematics Methods Program is described. (PP)

The impact of field experience on attitudes toward science and science teaching of 80 prospective elementary teachers at East Carolina University was investigated. (HM)

A Northern Kentucky University professor questions the relevance and effectiveness of a required fundamentals of secondary education methods course, and discusses his counteroffensive, which combines lecture, field experience, and post-experience reflection on methods to meet state certification standards. (CB)

Reform in the fields of adolescent and content area literacy have focused on broadening a definition of literacy beyond the ability to read and write. In a broader definition the language processes of reading, writing, speaking and listening become literacy tools to engage students in the learning of concepts and afford the learner ways to…

The Drake University (Iowa) pharmacy school has developed an elective teaching clerkship to help prepare pharmacy students as university teachers. Course goals were to familiarize students with issues in university-level teaching, promote understanding of theories underlying specific teaching methods, and apply general teaching technique and…

A study examined students' perceptions of what it is that distinguishes effective from ineffective university supervision. Subjects were 83 early childhood education majors enrolled in two field-based reading methods courses offering six weeks of university instruction and four weeks of classroom experience. Students responded to questionnaires…

The use of field experiences prior to and during the courses in pedagogical methods is prevalent throughout teacher education. This study provides a synthesis of three studies that focused on the expectations and problems of cooperating teachers, field experience students, and university supervisors. Further, the study compares these findings with…

An effective junior-year student teaching program in elementary education was designed that combines application of theory learned in methods courses with practical school experience. The objective was to prepare education majors for student teaching and to give them an opportunity to evaluate themselves and the prospects of a teaching career.…

The McNeese State University's pilot program in field-oriented competency-based teacher education in early childhood education is designed for prospective teachers to develop and demonstrate competencies believed to be necessary for effective teaching in the early childhood area (K-3), as well as to develop evaluative criteria relevant to the…

Reports on a study of early field experience activities in 22 teacher education programs. Concludes that the goals of most field experiences programs are seldom achieved. Recommends more institutional support and field experience assignments geared to self-reflection and analysis. (CFR)

In recent years there has been a growing interest in arming physical education teachers with critical pedagogies. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of a critically oriented methods course and early field experience (EFE) on 20 preservice teachers' (PTs) conceptions of the teaching-learning process. Data were collected using…