This article describes a teacher education program, "Studies in Educational Alternatives" (S.E.A.), at Mankato State University (Minnesota). The program is committed to personalization and practicum experiences as major components of teacher preparation. The document discusses: (1) program design; (2) admission processes; (3)…

The study described here was conducted to examine the impact of reforms made to an elementary education program which include broadened supervised practicums experience for all education methods courses thereby creating a link between theory and practice. Specific attention was given to prospective teachers' perceptions of the usefulness of their…

Speech communication teachers at both secondary and postsecondary school levels must cooperate to improve oral communication education. Despite the importance of oral communication skills, speech courses are rarely required in high school. Teachers must tell school boards, higher education boards, and faculties of the importance of speaking and…

To determine if subject matter taught or years of teaching experience after taking methods courses influenced teacher attitudes toward teaching reading in the content areas, questionnaires were completed by 105 middle, junior, and senior high school teachers who had completed methods classes in content area reading. Results of four subscales on…

Forty-eight professors of English or education at state universities throughout the United States were surveyed to discover what concepts state institutions were emphasizing in English writing. The survey asked 10 preliminary questions about what writing courses were offered or required for prospective undergraduate English teachers and 13…

This handbook offers guidelines for the university supervisor, methods instructor, and cooperating teacher in providing a productive clinical experience for elementary school education majors at Lewis University (Illinois). Procedures and responsibilities of each of the triad's members are outlined. General guidelines are presented on elements…

This handbook offers guidelines for the university supervisor, methods instructor, and cooperating teacher in providing a productive clinical experience for secondary school education majors at Lewis University (Illinois). General guidelines are presented on elements that pertain to all clinical experiences, such as classroom observation; planning…

Based on the perception that teacher educators deliver preparation programs which have little influence on the way graduates actually teach and that they are completely out of touch with the actual teaching conditions in contemporary schools, a survey was conducted to see what activities teachers felt were most relevant for reading methods classes…

Language Arts is an area which covers many subjects, each important, each one interdependent upon the other. Prospective teachers, first and foremost, should have the various language theories reviewed in their methods courses. Practical classroom activities--such as keeping spelling lists, practicing creative writing, and sharing…

A survey of master's level English language teacher trainees in a Chinese university examined prevailing attitudes toward a methodology course and compared them to previous findings. Students were asked to rate course quality and the quantity of various course materials and tasks. The results showed an overall positive reaction to the course, with…

The new elementary education program for prospective teachers at the State University of New York at Oswego focuses on the structure of human learning. The program has three tracks for students to choose from, each consisting of: (1) the foundations semester; (2) the unit; and (3) field experience. In the foundations semester, students work on…

Pertinent to potential recommendations for communication training in teacher preparation, a study investigated prospective teachers' intended use of communication control strategies in managing student misbehaviors. As an extension of previous instructional research, a typology of common student misbehavior types (active/passive) and intensity…

This study focused on anxiety, both math and situational, and its relationship to teaching performance. Preservice elementary teachers were given a methods course on teaching mathematics and, after five weeks, were assigned a group of children to instruct twice a week. A positive correlation was found between performance in teaching math and…

Three papers presented at a teacher education conference on the development of common core curriculum for vocational teacher education are contained in this booklet. The titles and authors are as follow: "A Model Methods Course for Agricultural Education," by L. H. Newcomb; "Preparing Teachers to Develop Courses of Study in Vocational…

PROJECT "TEACH" WAS ESTABLISHED TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF TEACHERS OF THE DISADVANTAGED. IN THE AREA OF SECONDARY EDUCATION, SEVERAL GOALS WERE SET AND MET. (1) PROFESSORS OF SECONDARY EDUCATION WERE ASSISTED IN CHANGING CURRICULUM AND INCREASING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE CULTURE OF POVERTY BY INSTITUTING ON-SITE COURSES IN METHODS…