A range of factors has impinged on the provision of teacher education programs in the last decade. Largely emanating from governmental demands for increased accountability, these have included the setting of standards for student achievement, proof of program impact, and state and national testing. These legislative reforms and school district…

This paper examines the effectiveness of "Bridging"--a performance-based assessment and curriculum development tool for teachers of young children--in shaping preservice teachers' learning and teaching experiences. The experiences are examined for evidence of whether the use of "Bridging" during the student teaching period 1) facilitates student…

This article reports the findings of a six-year project to involve pupils systematically in the pre-service education of secondary school teachers. The project, developed in the partnership between an English university and local schools, involves structured discussions between school pupils and student teachers during the practical teaching phase…

This study examined the perceptions of preservice teachers as they reflected upon teaching the writing process to second grade students over the course of one semester. Implications for teacher educators were identified based on the findings: Preservice teachers benefited from teaching writing on a consistent basis; preservice teachers learned and…

Curriculum integration and working in teams are two key characteristics of middle schooling in Australia today. As part of a new primary/middle teacher education program an interdisciplinary team of academics has developed a course that aims to teach pre service teachers how to plan for and teach an integrated curriculum unit in an authentic…

Science Across the World is an exchange programme between schools world-wide. It has two main components: existing resources for students (age 6-10) and a database with all participating schools. The programme exists since 1990. It is carried out in partnership with the British Association of Science Education (ASE) and international…

Reflection is a key aspect of the practicum experience for preservice teachers at the University of Central Queensland (Australia). However, ensuring that reflection occurs has been somewhat problematic. A study was conducted to explore how theoretical constructs based on learning theory can be used to guide the function of the practicum and the…

This paper describes the difficulties that two prospective teachers experienced in student teaching assignments in two city schools; both judged outstanding by the faculty from where they were about to graduate. It examines the ways in which these experiences eroded the student teachers' convictions that they could teach all children in ways that…

This research report presents 10 papers offering views of Finnish, Swedish, British, Danish, and United States educators on teaching and teacher education. The essays are as follows: (1) "The Missing Content in Teaching: Focus on What Teachers Reflect Upon While They Are Teaching" (Mikael Alexandersson); (2) "What Is Reflection? On…

As part of the Jacksonville Urban Education Partnership (JUEP) at the University of North Florida, a CD-ROM disc designed to assist preservice teachers in the preparation of their portfolios was developed and tested. With the help of the disc, 45 preservice teachers developed portfolios as a tool for reflection and for evaluation of skill and…

Jessup Elementary School (Maryland), Towson State University (TSU) (Maryland), and Anne Arundel Community College (Maryland) have joined in a effort to change the notion of partnership in professional development schools (PDSs). The focus is not only the preparation of early childhood teachers but also the professional development of faculty and…

This paper describes a Goals 2000 project intended to redesign preservice teacher education, practicing teacher roles, and student learning experiences within a Professional Development School framework. The team includes teaching faculty from the University of Akron (Ohio) College of Education Department of Curricular and Instructional Studies,…

The Urban Teacher Education Program (UTEP) is a project of Indiana University Northwest (IUN) and three urban school districts (Gary, East Chicago, and Hammond, Indiana) to develop novice teachers, continue professional development among experienced professionals, and provide a forum for research on teacher education. Following discussion of the…

This survey was designed to identify courses in pedagogy required of secondary education majors, credits awarded, student teaching credit and evaluation, and effectiveness of colleges and universities in preparing teachers for public schools. Responses from 310 teacher education programs accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of…

This publication reports on a seminar held over five days which brought together teachers and administrators from the Albany (New York) area schools and colleges and universities to discuss teacher preparation and professional development. Opening sections introduce the seminar, list participants, and detail the six procedural steps that the…