This monograph examines preservice teacher education from the perspective of the sociologist. It emphasizes the need for furthering the cause of professionalism among teachers through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes, beliefs, and orientations of a profession, a process referred to as a socialization system. The publication offers a…

This volume documents the response to the final report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, "A Nation at Risk," at national, state, and local levels during calendar 1983. It is divided into three parts. The first part, "The Nation Responds: An Overview," describes national developments in education during this…

The state of Kentucky has recently raised its standards for persons who apply for admission to teacher education. The plan, mandated by the State Board of Education, involves a selection/retention process for candidates who apply for initial admission to the program and for candidates who progress through the program. A minimum level of…

This book reviews both preservice and inservice teacher education in the Republic of China and provides detailed analyses. In the first chapter, an overview of the educational system's structure in modern Taiwan and the United States is presented and comparisons drawn. Features of Chinese educational and intellectual thought and philosophy are…

Designed for use by teacher educators, this module provides a framework for examining current practice in training preservice teachers to deal with slow learners in the regular classroom. The focus is on establishing peer and cross-age tutoring programs. A rationale for tutoring is given by describing the relation between academic engaged time and…

A report is given on a task force exploration of teacher shortages and surpluses and the effect they have on the quality of teacher education programs. Data are presented for the nation, geographic regions, and 16 states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon,…

Methods of working with foreign students, especially those from Malaysia, have been modified at Southern Illinois University. Problems have arisen in dealing with two different groups of Malaysian students: recent graduates from secondary schools, and graduates of Malaysian teacher training colleges. The first group comprises very young students,…

Most preservice teacher training institutions are aware of both the charge placed upon them to develop international understanding and the idea of the human family. The finite nature of the world, whose future rests on appropriate organization and ethical interaction, has made it imperative that teachers help children of the 21st century…

A research study of 300 Georgia first-year school teachers sought: (1) to identify first-year teachers' perceptions of their undergraduate education curricula; (2) to determine whether significant differences in perceptions exist among groups of first-year teachers categorized on the basis of background information; and (3) to determine which…

Papers by teacher education practitioners, on the topic of evaluation of teacher education programs, with responses by evaluation experts, are presented: (1) "Teacher Education's Evaluation of Graduates: Where Are We Going and How Do We Know When We Get There?" (J. T. Sandefur); (2) "Requirements of a Data Base for Effective Program Evaluation"…

To evaluate the approach to improving instruction espoused by the National Writing Project (NWP), this research report examines the assumptions, practices, and impacts of the NWP program to train teachers to teach writing. Following a brief description of the NWP model and its underlying assumptions, the report compares the goals, strategies, and…

This paper presents a comprehensive review of international research on the problems of beginning teachers facing "reality shock" in their first years of teaching. A discussion is given on the question of how teacher educators could anticipate the problems their students will encounter when they enter the profession. Particular focus is on…

This report of the Task Force on Teacher Education in Missouri focuses on producing a high-quality cadre of teachers. The report is organized around three themes: (1) supply and demand of teachers, teacher recruitment, and selective admission; (2) appropriate preservice preparation of teachers with academically rigorous teacher education programs;…

A study undertaken by the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, sought to determine beginning teachers' perceptions of their own abilities in 15 teaching skills and strategies and the degree of importance of various components of the teacher education program in developing these skills. Forty-three questionnaires were…

Deans of schools of education (N=249) answered a survey probing current resources, plans for expansion, incentives needed for expanding personnel resources, and barriers to program development in special education programs covering the needs of infants and toddlers. Almost half reported no special education program at any level, but 40% reported…