Research and policy in the field of teacher education recommend that special education (SPED) programs include opportunities for candidates to practice in supervised field experiences. Such field experiences (a) engage candidates in professional practice, (b) reduce their anxiety, (c) gain confidence, and (d) allow them to view themselves as…

This article focuses on the relationship between coursework and field experience, theory and practice. Guided by Korthagen et al.'s (2006) fundamental principles for teacher education, an alternative student teaching structure was tested at the Universite´ du Que´bec en Outaouais (Canada) in the Fall 2016 term. An online survey was conducted to…

This narrative case study describes the use of improvement science methods to strengthen the effectiveness of field experiences for teacher candidates. As part of a networked improvement community, we sought to reduce variation in the quality of field experience by providing a cohesive network of high-quality coaching supports. Using design-based…

This pilot project examines the experiences of a small sample (n = 4) of elementary pre-service teachers (PSTs) as they designed and attempted to implement a series of short lessons, or mini-units, using Ozobots or Makey Makeys during their field experience. Results indicated that, despite the fact that none of the PSTs were able to deliver their…

This is a must-have resource for clinical and field experience coordinators and all educators who find themselves in the position of guiding teacher candidates. The authors provide a comprehensive toolkit for the complex work of field instruction, including mentoring approaches; conversation stems; conferencing techniques; lesson debriefing…

Field experiences aim at immersing student teachers in authentic work tasks and conditions of teachers. However, specific psychological needs of the teaching workforce are not considered when studying the fulfilment of student teachers' psychological needs. This paper proposes a four-dimensional theoretical framework incorporating both basic and…

This study investigated the impact of differing models of practicum placements on teacher candidates' (TC's) abilities to practice teaching skills and receive feedback on their teaching. Within the Professional Development School (PDS) model TCs were placed as cohorts in a single PDS site with at least one college faculty member assigned as a…

The role of the cooperating teacher is an integral component of field-based teacher education because the cooperating teacher can bridge the gap between the knowledge developed on campus during physical education teacher education and preservice teachers' field-based learning experiences leading up to and including student teaching. In order to…

The purpose of this article was to examine the use of a gradual release of responsibility (GRR) model (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983) embedded in a coteaching framework (Heck & Bacharach, 2016) during the student-teaching portion of an alternative teaching licensure program. The goal was to improve an already existing student-teacher field…

School-based agriculture teachers (SBAE) hold many roles inside and outside of the school. Identifying and understanding the many roles an agriculture teacher may have in their career is an important part of an early field experience (EFE). In this study, EFE students (n = 18) submitted written reflections focused on the role of an agriculture…

Studying to be a teacher in their local community is not normal practice for student teachers in New Zealand initial teacher education (ITE) programs. This paper argues that student teachers in a distance ITE program who are familiar with the local school community can benefit from the experience. This qualitative study centered on a distance…

Concern that practical realities in classrooms will "trump" theories has led some universities to design residency teacher education programs that maximize coherence between university coursework and field experiences. Yet, some research suggests that student teachers can learn from dissonance. This qualitative case study of one cohort…

This article presents and discusses experiences from a research and development project where Norwegian student teachers were encouraged to bridge theory and practice by following a pupil's learning processes over time, and to write papers based on empirical data and relevant subject theory. The evaluations of the project received high ratings…

Student teaching has long been considered a cornerstone of teacher preparation. One dimension thought to affect student teacher learning is the kinds of schools in which these experiences occur. Drawing on extensive survey and administrative data on all teachers, students, and schools in a large, urban district, this study investigates whether…

In recent years there have been significant changes in education across the globe, largely as a result of changing demographics, technological developments, and increased globalization. Relatedly, the changing needs of societies and families, along with new research findings, provide new directions in early childhood education. Consequently, early…