In this article, we describe how our general and special education faculty collaborated to infuse the Universal Design for Learning framework into our special education preparation program, a dual-licensure special education and elementary education (K-6) undergraduate degree program. We describe the curriculum reform processes and outcomes of the…

When educators collaborate to create different products, construct knowledge, and solve problems, they develop their collegiality and it motivates them to return each year. Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory (1962) aided in the understanding of pre-service teachers' experiences related to collaboration during their teacher preparation program. The…

Use these practical recommendations to mentor, guide, and support teacher candidates you are hosting in your classroom through four stages of clinical practice.

As long as there have been teachers in a classroom, there has been a struggle with classroom management. A reveal of the literature revealed a need for a deeper look into teacher education programs regarding their classroom management preparation. Rickman and Hollowell (1981), proposed that the lack of content in teacher training programs in…

We report a comparative qualitative study conducted in Lebanon and China on mentoring approaches, their compatibility with expectations, and their facilitation of learning opportunities. Data sources included interviews, journals, and essays from 20 student teachers (STs), and interviews from 10 cooperating teachers (CTs). Findings indicate a…

This qualitative study focuses on elementary teacher candidates (TCs) at two United States university-based teacher preparation programs and their experiences with edTPA, a teacher performance assessment increasing in implementation nationwide. TCs from two public universities, in a state where edTPA bears a high-stakes connection to teaching…

Due to the demand for high-quality teachers in the United States, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), developing pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in teachers early in their teacher education programs can be critical for their becoming effective in the classroom. Employing a multiple-case study design,…

The formation of a teacher's identity is considered a dynamic process influenced by internal and external contextual factors. This article explores the impact that external contextual factors have on teacher candidates' identities by presenting the findings of an empirical qualitative study that investigated the relationship between teacher…

Although national assessments for evaluating teacher candidates are available, some state education agencies and education preparation programs have developed their own assessments. These locally developed assessments are based on observations of teaching and other artifacts such as lesson plans and student assignments. However, local assessment…

This Study Snapshot highlights key findings from a larger study examining the validity and reliability of the Kansas Clinical Assessment Tool (K-CAT), a newly developed tool for assessing the performance of teacher candidates. The study team used interviews with cooperating teachers, content experts' ratings of the alignment of the K-CAT to…

Although national assessments for evaluating teacher candidates are available, some state education agencies and education preparation programs have developed their own assessments. These locally developed assessments are based on observations of teaching and other artifacts such as lesson plans and student assignments. However, local assessment…

The "Examination of the Validity and Reliability of the Kansas Clinical Assessment Tool" study explored the validity and reliability of the Kansas Clinical Assessment Tool (K-CAT), a newly developed tool for assessing the performance of teacher candidates. The study found that cooperating teachers reported that the K-CAT accurately…

Teaching is often referred to as an artistic practice that relies on modes of thinking and feeling. Effective teaching requires experience, experimentation, and intuition to make decisions that are right for each unique classroom situation. This article describes a multisite case study that examines how three fifth-year art teachers were mentored…

Pre-service teachers (PSTs) are often placed in a vulnerable position during their school placement. Recognising the presence of power dynamics between PSTs, university-based tutors, and cooperating teachers as well as exploring how PSTs navigate these power relations is the focus of this paper. Data from interviews with final-year PSTs were…

Planning is a central component of the teaching experience in which the teacher draws on curriculum and pedagogy as well as learners and their context. Planning is also a teacher standard at both the state and national level (WI DPI Teacher Standards, InTASC, 2013). For teacher candidates (TCs), an opportunity to learn to plan occurs during the…