Describes an experience-based teacher-education program at Queen's University (Ontario), including the program's theoretical background and its emphasis on inclusion of special-needs children. Two case studies prepared by teachers from their 14-week practicum experiences are presented. (DB)

During an eight-week field experience, six preservice teachers designed and facilitated an integrated inquiry unit for fifth graders. During this experience, they investigated their effectiveness in implementing the inquiry approach to teaching based on pupils' learning responses. Reflecting on teaching behaviors through reflective classroom…

Examined beginning teachers' role in reconceptualizing classroom instruction. After learning about teaching inquiry and completing a student-teaching practicum, student teachers completed surveys about teaching inquiry during the practicum. Few taught inquiry or saw their associate teach it during the practicum. This made them less enthusiastic…

Two cohorts of Australian preservice teachers provided information on their teaching practicum concerns and the coping strategies they used. Survey data indicated there were significant reductions in stress from the first to the second practicum. Students' principal coping strategy was seeking the support of the supervising teacher, which…

Examined the extent to which English primary schools are increasing involvement in teacher training and the impact this has on school development plans, classroom teaching and learning quality, and teachers' career development. Data from 1997 surveys of 462 primary schools that had recently received student teachers are being used to examine…

Fifty-four special education student teachers were evaluated by university supervisors and cooperating teachers on eight variables, during the first and last weeks of their student teaching. Student teachers who had either participated in university-sponsored field-based experience or had obtained such experience independently received…

Study analyzed the writing assignments of two secondary preservice teachers involved in a university teacher education practicum designed to promote reflective thinking. Found that written assignments were more useful in making participants' cognitive processes explicit than in their actively constructing knowledge about teaching and learning.…

Indiana University Purdue University Columbus reorganized its teacher education program to socialize students to the teaching profession and increase collegiality. Communication between faculty, students, and cooperating elementary schools has increased; America Reads program has facilitated partnerships with local schools and increased exposure…

An education methods teacher evaluated her own teaching while supervising two former students during their student teaching semester. She found that her students used some of her methods, but there were some things that only the cooperating teachers could teach. Cooperating teachers need more staff development and should work more closely with…

Summarizes findings about the pilot program resulting from an exit evaluation survey of teacher candidates in the restructured preservice program at Queen's University of Kingston. Also documents some insights relating to the evaluation of teacher-education programs that were developed by the researchers during the process of gathering and…

We position teaching as a complex, creative profession and have an expectation that practicum should support the reflexive, possibility-thinking and risk-taking creative endeavours of the beginning teacher. This paper reports on a series of studies that explored shared understandings and effectiveness of relationships and roles of practicum…

The study reports on changes in beliefs and attitudes toward urban schools evidenced by teacher candidates when engaged in a five week summer tutoring experience in a city school district. Beliefs at pre and post testing are presented descriptively, while changes between the two measures are presented in a matched-case method. Among the most…

This paper explores four students' attempts at teaching science in the real world classroom during their initial student teaching practicum, including their struggles and successes. When pre-service teachers enter their initial practicum experience they are confronted with differing teaching philosophies of their own, their university professors,…

Recent efforts to design teacher education experiences using reflection as a philosophical orientation (Abell & Bryan, 1997) have shown that such experiences are influencing the way that teachers think about their practice, specifically teachers' personal beliefs about teaching and learning. In this paper, we introduce the design and…

Key Stage 2/3 trainees undertake their second school placement in secondary schools having completed a placement in a primary school in the first year of their training. While trainees will have been prepared at their higher education institution, the experience itself can be daunting for reasons other than the fact that this is their first…