This discussion of the professionalization of teaching centers around areas of the teacher's work which are perceived as essential to the prospective teacher's education. The first of these is the arts and sciences component, in which prospective teachers acquire knowledge of the subject matter they will teach, and also a liberal education that…

A description is given of an introductory foundations of education course that requires students to participate in a field experience in the public schools and link their observations to the broader, more theoretical issues in education through a variety of classroom and writing activities. The course, through its design, is particularly effective…

The recent transition from industrial arts programs to technology education programs has occasioned the redesign of teacher education programs to meet the needs of future technology teachers. A national survey, conducted to improve the university course content in a technology teacher education curriculum for future junior high and high school…

Four traditions of reform in 20th century U.S. teacher education are described: academic, social efficiency, developmentalist, and social reconstructionist. Each tradition is illustrated with examples from both early and contemporary teacher education programs. Following the presentation of the reform traditions, the heuristic value of the…

Thoughtful follow-up studies of teacher education program graduates can be used effectively. In the study reported here, survey data were collected from recent graduates (N=151) of a small, independent, church-related liberal arts college. The students were participating in their first year of teaching in one of four geographic regions (Idaho,…

The responsibility for ensuring that beginning teachers are competent to teach in the nation's classrooms should be that of teacher education institutions, according to the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Teacher education institutions must employ an assessment system that: (1) assesses specific competencies as…

The planning phase of the Hartford Effective Schools Initiative (HESI) is described and evaluated in this report. Data were gathered from interviews held with 21 teachers (7 from each of 3 elementary schools), paraprofessionals, building administrators, the project coordinator and building leader participating in the project, and 6…

In this paper the first descriptive results of a longitudinal study of organization and learning effects of 24 preservice teacher education programs are reported. Between August 1982 and November 1986 different kinds of qualitative as well as quantitative data were collected among 357 students and their 31 university supervisors and 128…

A report is given of a program (Teacher Education Redesign) initiated by Southeast Missouri State University in response to a perceived need to develop more rigorous admission and exit criteria for the school of education, as well as to improve the quality of field experience programs and to develop viable linkages between the schools and higher…

A southwestern university sponsored a two-week, half-day summer institute designed to help teachers become aware of recent writing research and implement writing within their classrooms based on the research findings. During the first week, teachers were encouraged to pay more attention to the communication perspective with less attention on…

The implementation of uniform standards for assessing prospective teachers' competencies in basic skills prior to admission is growing rapidly. There is also a trend toward increasing the grade point average required for admission. Policies on admission to teacher education programs reflect concern about the decline in both the number and quality…

A survey was conducted to determine the amount and types of computer training supplied to prospective and practicing teachers in schools of education. Questionnaires were distributed to a stratified national probability sample of 428 institutions of higher education representing an estimated total of 1,220 colleges and universities providing…

While the major thrust of this monograph is to recommend procedures for the preparation of teachers, it is also emphasized that educational reform and school improvement depend upon the realistic clarification of the separate and interdependent roles of society and the parents of students. This report presents recommendations for improving teacher…

This treatise on teacher education includes priorities for higher education and agendas for the next president and Congress, governors and state legislators. A discussion is included on priorities for reform in teacher education. Progress in campus-based teacher education programs is noted in the areas of raising academic standards, applying…

Dean's Grant Projects (DGPs) provided both the financial impetus for adapting teacher education programs to meet the challenges of mainstreaming handicapped students into regular classrooms and the arena for the discussion of different approaches to the institution of necessary changes. This book presents 13 papers written by educators experienced…