The minority population in North Dakota is very small, less than five percent. Most of the students at Valley City State University (VCSU) are white and from middle class families; only about eight percent of the student body represent diverse cultures. Public schools in the state also have a low enrollment of minority students. Although these…

This article examines issues that were critical for eight preservice teachers learning to teach mathematics and social studies in the context of reform-minded methods classes. The issues include: (1) the impact of their prior knowledge and experience in the development of content-specific pedagogical knowledge; (2) their conceptions of mathematics…

This study investigated the effects of a newly redesigned teacher education internship program at West Texas A&M University, the STEP (Student/Teacher Expanded Program) program, on teaching interns' performance. STEP participants were placed in 1-year internships and paid 75 percent of a beginning teacher's salary. Carefully screened teachers who…

This report describes a course in the Irish student-teacher curriculum that was designed in response to criticisms of post-graduate teacher training that it was too theoretical and insufficiently practical. The design of the Applied Psychology of Instruction course was based on the teacher-as-researcher paradigm of professionalism. Student…

This study examined changes in novice teachers' feelings of self-efficacy (the belief that he or she can be successful in affecting student performance) and their beliefs about teaching as they completed a clinical experience in their teacher education program. It also attempted to identify factors which influenced these changes and to examine…

This paper reports on case studies of eight student teachers in Andalusia (Spain) intended to identify and understand the development of their pedagogical approach and the factors affecting their socialization processes. Five factors affecting the socialization of students during practical training were evident in all the cases. These factors…

Students in the Elementary Teacher Education Program at Rowan College (New Jersey) are predominately White and have had little previous contact with minority communities. Reflective classroom activities have been developed to facilitate critical reflection on teaching for diversity and to raise consciousness regarding educational equity. In one…

The combination of quantitative and qualitative methods as a way to improve research into the clinical preparation of teachers was studied using varied clinical-instruction models to quantify preservice teachers' perceptions of being prepared for inservice teaching. A traditional professional model emphasizes the idea of the teacher as leader and…

This paper reports on a strategy for encouraging preservice teachers to use reflective techniques when developing lesson plans. A focus on reflective practice incorporates and integrates the minimal teaching competencies required by West Virginia State Teacher Certification. Practicum students must provide evidence demonstrating at least minimal…

While teacher educators prepare students throughout their coursework for successful teaching careers, the subjects of interviewing and the rigorous demands of full-time teaching are often not specifically covered. This paper reviews the essentials of interviewing techniques and addresses issues related to the realities of a first full-time…

In the spirit of educational reform efforts, this paper describes a supervisory training program at Indiana University East. The program, based on the development of reflective skills, is designed to assist classroom teachers who become supervisors for early education field students and student teachers. In order to develop the skills of a good…

The student teaching field experience has proven to be one of the most critical components of teacher preparation programs, and yet little is known about how pedagogical skills develop during this period. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine student teachers' classroom interactions over the course of a 10-week student teaching…

This directory contains information about partner schools throughout the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER). Partner schools are intended to provide exemplary education for all preschool through high school students enrolled, assist with professional preparation of prospective teachers, provide continuing education for professionals,…

This paper develops the idea of "the authority of experience" to explain the unease about teacher education represented in comments of 19 graduate students enrolled in a preservice physics education methods course which combined on-campus classes and teaching placements. Interviews with the student teachers after the first half of the…

The present study extends a previous study of student teachers' teaching potential to first-year teachers and includes variables addressing commitment to a teaching career and efficacy. Respondents consisted of 126 first-year teachers who completed questionnaires at student teaching, graduation, and one year following graduation. Seven tables are…