Faculty positions are commonly based on the person's credentials, publishing, grants, and research. Institutions rarely focus on faculty's curriculum and instructional backgrounds: the growing concern is, why? The purpose of this study was to examine higher education leaders' assumptions, perceptions, and expectations about how to make faculty…

Not all instructors in higher education enter the classroom with teaching experience, but all have observed teaching in higher education from the perspective of a student. This "apprenticeship of observation" that Lortie (1975) wrote about decades ago at least gives instructors the opportunity to empathize with their students, an…

The accepted framing of mathematics pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as part of mathematical knowledge for teaching has centered on the question: What mathematical reasoning, insight, understanding, and skills are required for a person to teach elementary mathematics? Many have worked to address this question in K-8 teaching. Yet, there remains…

Details the skills and approaches that student teachers need to possess and develop as they begin their work in the classroom. Includes a web map for student teaching. (DDR)

Examines the preparation of preservice science teachers by focusing on professional development schools, science teaching practicums, and professional development courses. Proposes an instructional sequence for university students enrolled in science teaching. (DDR)

Five alternatives to traditional field experiences in special education are described and contrasted, including: infusion of experiences within content courses; traditional experiences offered during the summer session; working practica; roving practica; and specialized field-experiences. It is argued that these alternatives can provide…

Following a cognitive-developmental perspective, the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning is understood as a process of knowledge construction whereby knowledge claims are validated through reflection on teaching experience and educational theory. These reflective processes can be documented and peer reviewed. Teaching portfolios allow for the…

This paper reports an analysis of qualitatively different ways in which teachers experience change in their understanding of subject matter they have recently taught. In this exploratory study, interviews with 31 'typical' teachers from a range of first and second-year university subjects revealed that 20 reported no experience of change in their…

Describes the experiences of Ethiopian science student teachers and considers factors affecting their professional development with regard to their practical work. Proposes ways in which the Ethiopian Ministry of Education might implement changes to practice in preservice teacher education in order to meet the objectives of new educational…

This study followed Sternberg and Horvath's (1995) prototype view to sketch a teaching expertise schema as the hypothetical model. An interview of 13 novice, beginning, and expert teachers was used to examine the adequacy of the model. The participants were asked to comment on slides of classroom events. Their think-out-loud protocols were coded…

This paper describes prevailing models of teacher education programs in Israel and notes differences in their student teaching components. Suggests that the variability is due to different views regarding professional, epistemological, and sociopolitical factors, which result in a variety of teacher education programs, especially practicum…

Studied elementary through high school teachers' views on how to improve teacher preparation programs. Found that recommendations were consistent with those proposed by current reform initiatives: (1) requiring all teachers to know subject content; (2) teaching pedagogy in the context of academic content; and (3) offering prospective teachers many…

Interview data were collected from eight student teachers from universities in Australia and the United States to determine how student teachers perceive the process of learning to teach, particularly with regard to certain themes: setting goals, modeling, gaining experience, developing routines, and trial and error. Implications for teacher…

The revision of the University of Maryland Special Education Department 5-year undergraduate teacher preparation program is described. A recent program graduate's reflections on her first year of teaching illuminate key issues addressed in revising the program to focus on multicategorical special education teacher preparation across a more refined…

An Alberta teacher education program built around "teacher knowledge" begins with what preservice teachers already know rather than programmed knowledge and skills. Learning to teach becomes a process of expressing one's knowledge in practice, reflecting on that practice using personal and theoretical resources, and then trying out…