Cooperating teachers rated student teachers on ability to work with children having learning disabilities and/or emotional/behavior disorders. No significant differences were found between students with prior special education field experience and those without. Further research is needed to identify training methods that increase ability to work…

A survey of 82 graduate social work students revealed low levels of physical and psychological stress associated with graduate work. Symptoms were reported at higher levels in relation to classroom work than field practice. No major differences were found by sex or marital status, but class standing did produce significant differences. (MSE)

An innovative political science program in Fairfax County, Virginia, involves a semester's study of political theory and processes, followed by an optional semester-long internship in which each student works 8 to 10 hours per week with a county, state, or federal government agency and then prepares a report on a contemporary issue related to the…

This newsletter describes one college of education's experiences in selecting field placement sites for preservice teachers, examining the possibilities and limitations students faced when sent to suburban versus urban schools. Site selection criteria included school characteristics (size and grade levels, neighborhood, library and computer…

This final report describes accomplishments and activities of a project at Winona State University (Minnesota) to integrate the concepts and skills of active citizenship and community action into the Women's Studies curriculum. The project supported faculty development seminars, course development, and community outreach activities. Faculty…

This play, which addresses cooperating teachers' feelings about grading student teachers, was inspired by a doctoral student who was gathering data for her dissertation. She interviewed eight cooperating teachers, eight university supervisors, and seven directors of field experiences in elementary education from a midwestern state. The interviews…

This paper describes a survey of Texas teacher education programs. The programs investigated whether increased pressure on K-12 teachers to prepare students for mandated tests contributed to dissonance between higher education's expectations for field experiences and preservice students' actual experiences. A questionnaire was mailed to the…

This paper asserts that with the new NCATE 2000 standards placing a major emphasis on performance assessment, particularly regarding the impact college and university teacher education programs have on learners, it is essential that teacher education programs develop evaluation plans that include reliable, valid assessments focusing on the…

This article describes a university teacher training program for preservice teachers of students with mental retardation that emphasizes adult learning theory, case method teaching, communication, and clinical experiences to bridge research and practice. A review of the literature examines adult learning theory, Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational…

Several well-established efforts to form closer links between teacher education programs and community understanding are described. Such efforts are usually based on one of two approaches: building awareness of communities and their cultures into conventional college courses; or placing students in nonschool community settings. (PP)

A program at the University of Southern California in the 1970s successfully used enriched science courses and field experience programs in hospitals and laboratories to recruit inner-city minority high school students to health occupations and the university. (Author/MSE)

To increase understanding of learning style preferences, a study was conducted in which the learning style preferences of students majoring in secondary education enrolled in two alternative field-based programs were compared to the learning style preferences of students enrolled in the traditional program. Three styles (independent,…

Specific strategies for incorporating information relevant to the effects of racism and ageism in our society into the curricula of social work programs are described. Participant observer roles, development of a resource book, information networks, health, mental health, and housing service areas are discussed. (MLW)

A model for cooperative education has been developed that can be applied successfully in liberal arts. It involves the use of cooperative education in the first two years as a means of invigorating educational and career planning and exploration, and as an integral part of the students' general education. (LRA)

Investigates whether an environmental program including an advance organizer component and a field experience results in an observable change in the environmental orientations of fifth- and sixth-grade students. Results show positive change. (HM)