Research has raised fundamental questions about the traditional supervisor-student-class teacher triad of student teaching and the influence of the social context in which it operates. Some alternative approaches to supervision are reviewed and problems of reconceptualizing the supervisor's role are examined. (Author/MT)

This article presents a conceptual framework that relates facts about the student teaching experience to what ought to be learned. Two cases of student teaching illustrate how the relative influence of program, setting, and participant interaction shape opportunities for learning. Suggestions for teacher educators are offered. (Author/MT)

Compared two models of student teaching (traditional versus peer teaching in which two student teachers worked with one cooperating teacher). Case study data indicated that while peer teaching involved some trade-offs, it had a positive impact on children and offered such advantages to student teachers as increased support, ongoing conversation…

Examines what is happening in teacher education regarding teaching instructional planning processes, sharing one novice teacher's experiences with instructional planning in the context of secondary-level social-studies student teaching. The story illustrates the complexities involved as student teachers plan for classroom instruction. Four…

Examines ways to understand the experiences of student teachers facing their first practicum work. Preservice teacher education has some of the character of initiation into a community, and it must help student teachers see the deeply ethical and ecological character of their responsibilities. (SM)

Describes the role of boundary spanners, who facilitate the development of school/university partnerships. After describing the ideal partnership, offers examples of real issues that emerge when building partnerships and analyzes the surreal aspects of boundary spanning. Concludes with specific suggestions for developing school/university…

Examines the ontological meaning of experience in teacher education, highlighting a fifth-grade art lesson taught by a student teacher. Based on Dewey's view of experience, the article argues that practical wisdom is a dynamic process, and teacher education's task is to enable prospective teachers to be open to experience and aware of the…

Study examined programmatic and personal dimensions shaping eight future teachers' beliefs and practices, charting developmental stages via dialogue journals and case study analysis. Journals written at three stages indicated subjects' personal biographies interacted with other influences, helping or impeding their ability to negotiate and reflect…

Australian researchers asked 19 preservice teachers to reflect on lessons taught. They received over 300 pages of personal narratives about how students learned to teach. Data analysis illuminated preservice teachers' pragmatic concerns, which focused on classroom discussion, questioning, lesson planning, and an orientation toward practicality.…

The paper summarizes key features of teacher knowledge that emerge from recent research, considering their possible implications for teacher training. It argues for a more prominent role for research in the evaluation and development of teachers' professional education. (SM)

Examined a preservice middle school mathematics teachers' emerging practice, investigating the nature of classroom discourse and its role in her development while student teaching. Early classroom discourse mediated her teaching toward a traditional paradigm of giving information. Ultimately, experiencing the power and diversity of students' ideas…

This Australian study investigated student teachers' beliefs about teaching before and after their student teaching experiences. Survey results indicated that the orientations to teaching of most student teachers remained unchanged, through there were significant changes in the beliefs of some students. Supervising teachers' beliefs affected…

This study examines the contribution of assessments of interpersonal behavior to the prediction of initial teacher success. Findings indicate that the widely used predictor of cognitive ability has limited predictive power. Evaluations of interpersonal skills, including oral intelligence, significantly contribute to the prediction of success in…

Discusses several technical, psychological, and philosophical reasons for the underestimation of reflective teaching that make use of nonrational teacher behavior. Several techniques are described for the promotion of reflection on nonrational processes, such as the use of metaphors, drawing or painting, making photographs, and guided fantasy.…

Research on teachers' work should be systematically included in teacher education curricula. Findings from international literature on teachers' work emphasize: characteristics of teachers' work, working conditions, and teaching as coping and adapting. New teachers need an active role in their own socialization. Teacher educators should include…