Several factors have been involved in elevating education as a prime issue of national concern. One such factor has been the advent of new technologies; another has been the report by the National Commission on Excellence which found a steady decline in Scholastic Aptitude Test Scores, an increase in adult illiteracy, selection of nonrigorous…

How 3,741 certified pre-service teacher graduates viewed their preparation at Tennessee Technological University was examined. For 21 years the university has used an evaluation model with extensive follow-up data on graduates. A profile analysis of the subjects from 1965 to 1986 was retrospectively conducted. Using a 5-point rating scale,…

A study explored the recruitment process, as perceived by preservice teachers who were beginning their teacher training year, and ongoing patterns of recruitment and socialization as they occured during the training year. Fifteen students, interviewed and observed during their student teaching, served as primary subjects throughout their…

The responses of 38 preservice teachers enrolled in an education course entitled "Teaching in a Pluralist Society" were obtained through interviews, essays, and survey instruments. The students' responses were analyzed in relation to their knowledge of multicultual education, inter-ethnic experiences and behaviors, and attitudes and feelings about…

The paper focuses on the differences which characterize rural schools and suggests ways in which teacher preparation programs might train beginning teachers specifically for rural schools. Section 1 describes ways in which teacher preparation programs can help prospective teachers prepare for the breadth of responsibilities expected in rural…

A classroom communication course combines both the study of communication variables in the classroom and the opportunity for students to practice some communication skills they might use as classroom teachers. The course has three major objectives. In seminar style, the students and teacher together will identify questions worth exploring in the…

To document how future teachers are being educated, over 3,000 transcripts of future teachers in 14 southern states were examined, course by course. Information was sought on: (1) What courses are future teachers taking in college? (2) Do teachers take different academic courses than other students? (3) Does the general education in the first two…

This study analyzed the curriculum to which prospective teachers were exposed during their baccalaureate program in comparison with arts and sciences graduates. Transcripts of college graduates from 17 universities in the south were examined; 2,760 were classified as arts and sciences majors not certified to teach, and 3,283 were classified as…

This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a group-based, teacher-paced model of mastery learning for instruction in undergraduate education courses. It was hypothesized that the mastery-taught students, who were provided formative tests and corrective activities, would achieve higher scores on the final examination and higher grades…

No amount of reflection, observation of students, general information, and personal experience can make up for a teacher's lack of knowledge in subject areas. It is pointless for teachers to acquire delivery skills unless they have something to deliver. Several educators have become concerned about what is called "the flight to the sidelines", a…

The teacher preparation program at the University of Northern Iowa provides four years of field-based experiences in varying degrees of involvement. Using the University's laboratory school, the University-sponsored daycare and clinic facilities, and local public and private schools, education majors are placed close to the main campus. In the…

Two instructional models offer alternatives to the traditional lecture-discussion of undergraduate teacher aspirants. A self-paced model is composed of videotaped lectures, a learning package, and the use of both student proctors and instructor contact. Each student must develop his/her own time to be allotted structure for the course. An…

Educational preparation of remedial reading teachers is often inadequate and confusing to the student due to the limited acquaintance with a variety of methods and techniques, failure of teachers to define their terms, and the limited number of actual reading courses offered students. In order to remedy this situation, the Remedial Reading Program…

Current efforts to reform education may result in deskilled teachers who instruct through teacher-proof programs. The importance of interpretive, normative, and critical skills found in the social foundations of education are discussed as a solution to the problems found in education. (DF)

The University of Washington College of Education requires its students to take two courses on socioethnicity. But many future teachers elect courses focused on their own particular social or ethnic group. Thus, like other teacher colleges, Washington must find new methods of preparing students to teach in our culturally diverse society. (KH)