Given the intense politicisation of education, many teacher educators are caught in the cross-hairs of government's reform agendas, university expectations and student teacher needs. This paper reports on a study of 28 literacy teacher educators in four countries (Canada, US, Australia and England). This paper reports on the broad question: How is…

This article reports on a study of 21 mid-career and senior literacy/English teacher educators in four countries: Canada, the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and Australia. Three main themes are discussed: identity (re) construction; knowledge development (e.g. of pedagogy; current literacy practices); and reconceptualisation of their…

Background: In many contexts, elementary physical education (PE) classes are taught by the classroom teacher rather than by a PE specialist. Elementary classroom teachers often cite negative attitudes resulting from experiences as school pupils and inadequate pre-service PE teacher education as barriers to teaching a quality PE programme. Purpose:…

As pre-service instructors, we turned to longitudinal study of our graduates as a primary means of finding out how our courses could better prepare student teachers for the challenging early years of teaching. In addition, we used other self-study methods, notably regular feedback from student teachers during the program. The study of 22 graduates…

Examined a model of practicum supervision adopted at one university that involved intensive supervision by all faculty members. Data from observations, interviews, journals, and conversations found that the model strengthened the school-university partnership, enhanced the practicum and campus program, and helped faculty gain knowledge and…

Investigated student teachers' beliefs about components of good practicum placements. Data from interviews and observations highlighted seven components (e.g., emotional support from, peer relationship with, and collaboration with the associate teacher; flexibility in teaching content and method; feedback from the associate teacher; and heavy but…

Studied the role of Canadian elementary cooperating teachers. Data from interviews, surveys, observations, and focus groups indicated that cooperating teachers were satisfied with their role and gave student teachers considerable amounts of support, feedback, and direction. However, they often were quite hard on student teachers, limiting their…

Much has been written in recent decades about the importance of community in education. According to some of the literature, a solution to the lack of community in preservice education might lie in the creation of "cohort programs," in which a relatively small number of student teachers engage in their coursework and (insofar as possible) their…

Evaluated the effects on student teachers of a preservice program that grouped them into cohorts and emphasized community- building. Interview, observation, and questionnaire data highlighted positive effects (high participation levels in group activities, greater awareness of the value of collaboration, and greater willingness to take risks in…

Using qualitative and quantitative methods, we studied a large sample of our 2002-2003 preservice students to see how they were selected and how they fared in the program. Our research suggested that a key component of a preservice admissions process is to look for evidence that applicants possess qualities important for strong teaching; in our…