In response to national and state trends promoting inquiry-based social studies over the last decade, social studies teacher educators at the University of Kentucky revamped their pre-service program to create alignment around the key inquiry concepts of questions, tasks, and sources. Part of the program revision involved the creation of a new…

How is lesson planning useful? This research study used Cultural Historical Activity Theory and intersubjectivity to answer this questions. This research explored to what extent teacher candidates' lesson plans (i.e., alignment among objectives, assessment, and instruction), and analyses of assessment data mediate their thinking about students'…

This study addresses the issues and challenges faced by university supervisors when providing content-specific and general pedagogical feedback to preservice teachers. Study data highlight the perspectives of six preservice teachers as they reflect on their supervisory experiences over the course of a licensure year. Survey, interview, and written…

The purpose of this study was to investigate summative student teacher evaluation instruments to determine the most common dispositions evaluated by teacher preparatory programs. Thirty-two (32) final student teaching instruments were purposely selected from across the United States and examined. Thirteen disposition categories emerged from the…

Teacher educators have found portfolios to be a valuable way to judge readiness for student-teaching and initial certification as well as an effective means of examining and validating teacher preparation programs. Tension exists between using the portfolio as a product for evaluation and maintaining its focus as a personal examination, synthesis,…

This article describes a full-time teaching internship program, where, in lieu of student teaching, interns serve as classroom teachers in urban area schools. Through a partnership between a university and participating school districts, all interns received intensive mentoring and induction during their first year. Among the program results, were…

A review of research relating to the writing and use of letters of recommendation suggests that students, placement officials, employers, and authors of recommendation letters should work from facts rather than opinion. Categories such as lesson planning, lesson presentation, classroom management, discipline, and interpersonal relations can be…

The Office of Field Studies at the University of Tennessee Knoxville has implemented a research-based, collaborative-interactive student teacher supervision program featuring the provision of objective feedback during the preobservation conference, observation, and postobservation conference. (CB)

A survey was made of 123 colleges and universities in the United States in order to obtain information on criteria and assessment instruments used for student teacher evaluation. Responses were analyzed to determine the extent to which these criteria are based on research. Findings are presented. (MT)

Using time logs, questionnaires, and conference interviews, the researcher identified current feedback practices of cooperating teachers, examining the congruence between the feedback reported by the teachers and by their student teachers. Results indicated a wide gap between recommended supervisory feedback practices and those practices described…

Describes how changes in Indiana's licensure have affected one university's elementary education department, focusing on: the change to performance-based standards and assessment; performance assessment using exit portfolios; and lessons learned. The goal is to bring the program in line with the new Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support…

Provides a rationale for using developmental portfolios in preservice teacher education, describing how portfolios have been used in teacher education programs and discussing contributions portfolios can make in helping candidates reflect on the pre-student teaching segment of the program and make the transition from student to student teacher and…

Illustrates that stress in student teaching can cause both positive and negative reactions. Two hypothetical examples demonstrate how stress causes growth and self-development in one case and pushes a person beyond the adaptive range in the other case. Concludes that a university supervisor is necessary to help modify those reactions. (TRS)

Examines how differences in the cognitive levels of 60 pre-service teachers influenced the way they perceived and interpreted their teaching competency. Results showed that students of higher cognitive ability set higher standards for their teaching performance, and thus were more critical in their self-evaluations. (TRS)

Examined the experiences of a group of preservice and cooperating teachers piloting portfolios for evaluating student teacher development. Observation of portfolio review sessions and interviews with student and cooperating teachers indicated that portfolio assessment was valuable. Practical issues to consider when using portfolios are examined.…