Reflection is a useful tool which improves teaching approaches; however, many first-year teachers do not appear to reflect upon their instructional plans (McAlpine & Weston, 2000). Prior research has indicated preservice teachers are not utilizing the acquired reflective approaches learned throughout the teacher preparation program (Hatton…

All but four states in the nation now permit teachers to come into the profession through an "alternate route," compared to only a few 30 years ago. Alternate routes into the classroom have grown so acceptable that about one in five teachers now enters the profession through one of these programs, which offer some real benefits to the…

Self-adequacy during the student teaching experience is high on the list of concerns expressed by student teachers (Fritz & Miller, 2003; Ng, Nicholas, & Williams, 2010). That factor, in combination with others, determines student teachers' goals and sparks their motivation to engage in effective instructional planning (Baylor &…

The traditional student teaching experience includes a complex, triadic relationship between student teacher, cooperating teacher, and the university supervisor. Studies seeking to understand this experience from the perspectives of the student teacher and cooperating teacher are commonly found in the literature; yet research specific to the…

This study investigates Turkish pre-service teachers' experiences related to a two-month international teaching and cultural experience in the United States of America. In total, 289 graduate students from Turkey participated in a collaborative project from 2001 to 2010. The experience included an orientation week, six weeks of student teaching in…

Technology is becoming increasingly popular in higher education in the way students are asked to communicate and collaborate. The student teaching experience is an integral part of developing critical thinking skills in pre-service teachers. During this experience, it is important that student teachers practice the theory they have been taught in…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which cooperating teachers deem required student teaching skills and activities relevant to the agricultural education student teaching experience. The population for this descriptive study consisted of individuals who served as cooperating teachers in Iowa and South Dakota during the last 5…

Improving teacher preparation is critical to long-term improvement in teacher quality. More than 200,000 new teachers enter classrooms each year. Increasing student enrollment, the retirement of baby boom generation teachers, and high attrition in their first five years (between 40 and 50 percent of new teachers leave the profession) have…

Assessments have been a major topic of concern in the American education for the past several years. With the enactment of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, student assessment has become a high stakes event in all school districts. In the same way that classroom teachers need assessment literacy to make meaningful use of student assessments,…

Based on a conceptual framework explaining the characteristics and learned traits gained from student teaching abroad, this study sought to identify common perceptions from hiring school administrators in the state of Iowa. A common question asked by teacher candidates is "Does my experience abroad help me acquire a teaching position?"…

The effects of Physical Education Teacher Education program modifications upon selected characteristics identified with effective teaching were assessed utilizing the Teacher Work Sample (TWS). Data were collected from all student teacher candidates during the 2002 student teaching sessions. Based upon the 2002 data, interventions were made to a…

The purpose of this article is to describe how preservice teachers are prepared to make on-the-spot instructional decisions at the University of Northern Iowa. On-the-spot instructional decision making, also known as "improvisational" or "interactive teaching", occurs in three distinct episodes: an initial assessment of…

This study examined the teacher work samples of 197 student teachers to determine their level of technology integration during student teaching. Findings indicated that most student teachers planned to use some kind of technology, although only 40% planned to include computers and less than 20% planned for the use of computers by students. The…

Student teaching experience is important in the professional preparation of teachers. Successful teaching practice hinges on the effectiveness of cooperating teachers (CTs) who spend considerable time supervising and mentoring student teachers. Unfortunately, the welfare of the cooperating teachers is often neglected, and this is detrimental to…

BRIEF LITERATURE SURVEYS COVER JOURNAL ARTICLES AND DISSERTATIONS IN FIVE FIELDS--(1) PROBLEMS OF STUDENT TEACHERS, (2) FOLLOWUP STUDIES OF 1ST-YEAR TEACHERS, (3) VALUE OF STUDENT TEACHING AS SEEN BY STUDENT TEACHERS, TEACHERS, AND ADMINISTRATORS, (4) CHANGES DURING STUDENT TEACHING AS MEASURED BY PRETESTS AND POST-TESTS, AND (5) NEEDED RESEARCH…