Replacing student teaching with internships and replacing clinical supervision with mentoring have been suggested as needed reforms in teacher preparation. Memphis State University (Tennessee) has initiated three different secondary teacher preparation programs: (1) a baccalaureate program with a full day and 10- to 12-week intership; (2) a 15…

The limitations and unique contributions of experiential learning across the learning-to-teach continuum (pretraining phase, preservice phase, inservice phase/on-the-job learning) were examined. Three vignettes are presented that describe specific examples of firsthand experience: student teaching, exploratory field experiences, and the field as a…

New Mexico State University has operated an experimental field training program preparing senior students to serve as members of family home health teams. The author assesses the way in which the program has worked and reports on the program's evaluations by students and families. (Author/BP)

Ideas for enhancing learning from work experience are described, including work-learning progressions, learning descriptions, project development, linking work experience and courses, and educational debriefing. The importance of combining an effective work experience with other parts of the educational program is emphasized. (Author/SF)

Examined the effects on preservice science teachers in Ghana of the School Attachment Program, which promoted links between the college and local schools, allowing preservice teachers to practice teaching and develop professional relationships. Responses from participating preservice teachers, practicing teachers, and principals were positive,…

This article describes a design for a teacher preparation program that is successfully preparing teacher candidates to teach in the complex, diverse classrooms in urban schools. The program provides intensive, authentic, field-based experiences and effective mentoring support for teacher candidates as they gain the knowledge, skills, and…

Since 1994, urban-absentee landowners have dominated rural landownership in Texas. This landownership change has created potential environmental problems associated with natural resource management. Few of the new landowners have any formal training in the basics of the soil-plant-animal interface. The solution may be to develop a vehicle that…

This study examines the effect and effectiveness of the "bug-in-the-ear" (BIE) intervention strategy used with early field placement teacher education students to see whether meaningful feedback early in training would significantly help with developing teaching competencies. The BIE strategy involves a one-way communication device to…

There continues to be a great deal of debate about the role that field experiences play in teacher development and about the relative contribution of various individual and institutional factors to the socialization process. Field experiences in teacher education entail a complex set of interactions among program features, settings, and people…

As part of Scarborough's (Ontario) Co-operative Evaluation and Development of School Systems (CEDSS) project, an evaluation was conducted of the Board of Education's cooperative education program, which involved in-school instruction with on-the-job experience. The evaluation, which involved surveys of cooperative education students, a control…

Describes a study of the use of experiential learning coupled with social change agentry among community college students. Compares the participation, attendance, learning retention, satisfaction, and effectiveness of university undergraduates and two-year college students involved in behavioral and child advocacy skills training and case work…

A study was conducted concerning the development, implementation, and evaluation of a preservice teacher field practicum for a content area reading course. The evaluation includes supervising and preservice teachers' survey results identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the field placement. Survey participants included 11 students enrolled in…

Education majors preparing to be secondary school teachers could participate in a pre-student teacher field experience teaching project. Project participants had higher self-concepts at the end of student teaching than their nonparticipating counterparts. Field experience was not related to higher ratings of student teaching performance. (GDC)

A review of studies on early field experiences centers on John Dewey's belief that pre-practice teaching laboratory experiences should foster reflective criticism of educational purposes and instructional methods and result in more effective student teaching experiences. Current studies have indicated that early field experiences, by focusing on…

Evaluation of the Cabell County's (West Virginia) Program was based upon a list of program objectives directed toward improving student and community attitudes toward career education through a program of career exploration. Focus was on helping tenth grade students explore occupational interests and abilities in a school setting and at four…