Increased emphasis has been placed on student teachers' practical experiences in Scottish schools resulting from government policy specifying teacher competencies, student teachers' views of their learning experience, and research into the nature and contribution of practicing teachers' knowledge. Addresses implications concerning this shift of…

This article describes the Migrant Special Education Training Program at the State University of New York (New Paltz). This specially designed master's level teacher training program employs a field-oriented, competency-based approach which includes experience at a migrant education center, cooperative learning, and tutoring experiences. (DB)

The changing emphasis in teacher education from a theoretical perspective to a practical, performance-based perspective has forced teacher educators to revise and rethink their instructional techniques and styles. The Hearing Impairment Teacher Training Program at Eastern Kentucky University is currently being restructured in response to the new…

There is increasing pressure to evaluate and document the capabilities of students exiting teacher education programs. A professional portfolio can serve as an effective tool for documenting this process. Faculty wishing to institute portfolios in pre-service teacher assessment should be aware of the difficulties that arise during discourse and…

This study examines Finnish and English primary student teachers' ideas when planning to teach a physics topic during their science education studies. Many primary student teachers lack sufficient subject knowledge, which prevents them from constructing the scientific pedagogical content knowledge that enables them to concentrate on pupils'…

This study investigated the effects of a newly redesigned teacher education internship program at West Texas A&M University, the STEP (Student/Teacher Expanded Program) program, on teaching interns' performance. STEP participants were placed in 1-year internships and paid 75 percent of a beginning teacher's salary. Carefully screened teachers who…

As part of a Funds for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE) grant, the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Central Missouri State University is redesigning its 28-hour Secondary Professional Sequence (required for secondary education majors). The department identified and developed 45 teaching competencies reflecting 7…

This study identified specific assessment and diagnostic competencies seen as important for masters level special educators. In Phase 1, objectives were gathered from the assessment courses of 61 universities preparing special education teachers. In Phase 2, an initial list of 128 competency statements (71 knowledge statements and 57 skill…

One of nine competency-based training modules for personnel preparation in early childhood special education, this guide focuses on family collaboration. All modules are adaptable for use with a general audience, direct service personnel, or administrators and are based on the following principles of the Ohio Department of Education's Division of…

The first of the two guides presented in this document is intended for preservice and inservice teacher trainers who want to include technology as an integral part of special education training. The guide is divided into five sections. The first summarizes planning issues for university-based programs. The second explores the planning of inservice…

This paper examines some impacts of basic skills proficiency testing of teachers in Arizona. A discussion of some legal issues involved in teacher proficiency testing is presented. Specific cases are cited which illustrate the fact that the courts have ruled that testing must show "job-relatedness" and a "rational basis for…

To assess the relevance of the curriculum provided by the Department of Child Development of Maharaja Sayajirao University (Baroda, India), surveys and interviews were conducted with alumni graduated since 1950, employers, and experts in the field of child development and related disciplines. Main objectives of the study were (1) to identify both…

Research shows that teachers are the single most important factor in student learning in schools. Students who have access to highly qualified teachers achieve at a higher rate, regardless of other factors. Teachers to be highly qualified must be well prepared, especially in improving the quality of education facing global challenges. For this…

This module, one in a series of performance-based teacher education learning packages, focuses on a specific skill that vocational educators need to be successful in the area of instructional execution. The purpose of the module is to help teachers identify the elements of a good lesson introduction and gain the skills needed to present an…

This module is one of a series of 127 performance-based teacher education learning packages that focus upon specific professional competencies of vocational teachers. The competencies upon which these modules are based were identified and verified through research as being important to successful vocational teaching at both the secondary and…