The purpose of this study was to describe how particular field experiences prior to teacher certification should contribute to a teacher's effectiveness, specifically teaching in an urban environment, through a basic qualitative study. Guided by the frameworks of self-efficacy and self-cognition, this was achieved through a two phase qualitative…

Since 2010, a substantial number of large-scale, quantitative studies on preparation features associated with teaching effectiveness and retention have emerged. The purpose of this paper is to review this body of evidence and make sense of what it suggests for practitioners and policymakers. The paper begins by describing the groundbreaking work…

This article extends prior research seeking to identify preparation features related to better workforce outcomes. To our knowledge, it is the first to link many dimensions of preparation to graduates' first-year observation ratings. It follows 305 preservice teachers (PSTs) who student taught in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in 2014-2015 and were…

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…

With increased emphasis on student achievement in schools, teacher education programs are challenged to meet the demand for highly effective teachers. Ensuring that pre-service teachers feel confident in their ability to teach, prompted one Midwestern University to implement an extended student teaching placement. The idea behind this endeavor was…

Over 10 years, five state colleges and universities in a Midwestern state offered blended early childhood education training programs. A total of 242 teachers with unified ECE teaching endorsements in this state completed an online survey exploring their preparedness for work in inclusive settings with children birth to grade 3. Results describe…

Because a majority of teachers come from public universities, universities play an important role in examining and strengthening their teacher preparation programs to ensure they are graduating quality teachers. Student teaching is typically the culminating experience of the teacher preparation program and is considered to be the most crucial and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate middle level preservice teacher self-efficacy beliefs in general, as well as in the domain of reading. The participants were 8 middle school preservice teachers enrolled in a state-mandated reading methods course and student teaching over the course of a year. As part of the yearlong internship, the…

Teachers are entering the classroom with varying levels of training as various certification routes and programs responsible for training prospective teachers in the areas of curriculum, assessment, theory, pedagogy, and classroom management differ in their requirements or lack thereof. This study attempted to determine if there is a relationship…

Thirty preservice teachers enrolled in a field-based science methods course were placed at a public elementary school for coursework and for teaching practice with elementary students. Candidates focused on building conceptual understanding of science content and pedagogical methods through innovative curriculum development and other course…

To meet the demands of living and working in the 21st century, it is critical that every P-12 student in every classroom have an effective teacher. Yet, each year, thousands of new teachers enter the field unprepared to meet the challenges of today's classroom. Recent federal policies such as No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have made…

Cooperating teachers (CTs) are considered one of the most important groups who play a role in the success of student teachers (STs) during their field-based experience (FBE). The literature in the Arabic world about how CTs should fulfill their role has been limited with most of what is available has been conducted in the United States and other…

Physical education teacher education (PETE) students are given opportunities in "early field experiences" (EFEs) to observe and assist experienced teachers in schools. Typically, students are then required to do some autonomous teaching, to give them practical experience in the real world of local schools. Ultimately students will move on to…

Although in the long run, neoliberalism has a track record of undermining equity and democracy, in the short run it has directed attention to education needs that have been inadequately addressed. This article sketches what teacher education in the US can do to advance equity and democracy in five areas: recruitment and admission, early fieldwork,…