This paper synthesizes literature on the topic of professions in general and the teaching profession in particular. The paper is organized into three sections. The first section emphasizes the history and fundamental aspects of professions in the United States. The second section looks specifically at the teaching profession, using fundamental…

This study collected data from a total of 50 special education student teachers from 14 Illinois universities. Approximately half the students had not yet completed their student teaching experience and the remainder had completed the experience. Findings indicated that the most important aspects of a successful student teaching experience are:…

In 1999, the Murray State University and its College of Education (MSUCOE; http://www.murraystate.edu/coe/) made a commitment to making technology an integral part of its teacher preparation program. The Kentucky Academy of Technology Education (KATE; http://coekate.murraystate.edu/kate) was essential to the development of this program. KATE is a…

This paper describes a model of a field based or clinical experience program for prospective teachers. An overview of issues and concerns regarding field experiences and student teaching describes the traditional approach to supervised practice teaching. In a discussion of contemporary perspectives on student teaching programs, it is noted that…

Recent literature indicates that supervision at the secondary level in physical education has had little significant impact on the overall experience of a student teacher. Two factors contributing to these results have been the type of setting and the nontraining of the cooperating teacher. Recent studies have also shown through objective data…

During the past ten years, a series of small studies have been conducted at Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada) to examine the influence of varying the length of the student teaching practicum on the self-concept of teachers and their motivation towards the profession. Measures of self-concept and motivation have been taken by student…

An investigation of the predictive power of the Modern Language Association (MLA) Cooperative Test Scores in French, German, and Spanish in relation to performance in student teaching is described, and criteria used by the raters to define successful performance are identified. Subjects were 103 students who completed foreign language teaching…

This study sought to determine whether or not teacher training had a predictable impact upon the affective attributes of prospective teachers. Measures of anxiety, attitude, concerns, and confidence about teaching were administered to a sample of 153 prospective teachers before and after their student teaching experience. It was found that as…

A detailed description is given of the Early Childhood Teacher Education Program at Idaho State University. This program consists of five phases: (1) early field experience; (2) observing and participating in a diversity of early childhood programs as teacher-initiates and teacher-assistants; (3) examining and reflecting upon their teaching and…

The importance of orientation programs for international student teachers is discussed in this paper. It is pointed out that schools of education should organize predeparture orientation programs, both for teaching and for cultural understanding, that emphasize five areas: (1) personal awareness and behaviors; (2) the host country and its cultural…

Student teachers from Pennsylvania State University described experiences which supported or reduced their motivation to pursue teaching as a career. Data were collected from students who had successfully completed an 11 week full-time student teaching experience. The sample included 77 elementary, 92 secondary, and 28 special education student…

In this paper the author attempted to relate some of the developments that have happened in teacher education over the past ten years. (Author/RK)

Study was designed to measure student attitudes toward the pass-fail system of evaluation for the student teaching sequence. Questionnaire was administered to 158 student teachers and to 32 faculty members. Results of the chi-square analysis indicated that student and faculty attitudes were strongly positive. (Author)

Condensed from "Internships in Teacher Education, the 47th Yearbook of The Association for Student Teaching, NEA, Washington, D.C., 1968, 1-15.

This paper reports the preliminary findings of a study of the perspectives of four student teachers toward social studies teaching in the elementary classroom. Perspectives are defined and profiles of the student teacher observed. The study focuses on three questions: What conceptions of social studies did these student teachers hold at the start…