This study examines the theory-and-practice connection model in mentor preparation in the context of two mentor preparation programmes in Hong Kong. The 30- and the 60-hour mentoring support development (MSD) programmes share a common conceptualization of mentoring--with the improvement of teaching and learning as the core of mentoring--yet they…

Understanding how students learn is a common goal for most educators; however pedagogical research in rehabilitation counselor education is limited. This study employed action research to investigate how six students learned beginning counseling skills in a rehabilitation counseling practicum class. Approximately 150 data points were analyzed by…

This study focuses on similarities and differences in expectations of cooperating teachers and student teachers in the initial stage of the mentor relationship in the context of an Israeli practicum program for pre-service student teachers. These expectations, particularly when they conflict, can serve as major obstacles to the formation of…

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the teaching concerns of two groups of preservice teachers who were taught language arts methodology through the use of different approaches. A traditional approach (lectures and demonstrations by the professor) was used with one group (n=43) and a field-experience approach (lectures by the…

This practicum was designed to improve parent participation in the educational process of 17 mildly disabled students in a rural secondary school by actively encouraging the parents to participate in academic conferences, special education reviews, and special education staffings. The major goal was to positively involve parents in the educational…

The purposes of this study were to discover if a list of 14 common experiences would be part of the student teachers' reflective process during their two 8-week practicums, and to evaluate how different mediums (written journals, telecommunications, and personal observation/conferences) would impact the student teachers' reflection process. The…

This report reviews the literature and research on the use of experiential learning in higher education, focusing on classroom-community linkages. It defines experiential learning and reviews the current employment of experiential learning in higher education. An introductory section explains the politics and policy issues of experiential learning…

This paper reviews research on teaching practicums and describes research-based efforts of the University of Waikato in New Zealand to make the practicum component more effective. Changes in the practicum component being implemented include clarifying the relationship between theory and practice; improving the communication among schools,…

Twenty New Zealand lecturers supervising third (final) year student teachers were interviewed and completed questionnaires about their supervision visits. Results focus on the professional development needs of the supervising lecturers and the associate teachers, and the ways in which student teachers could have been better prepared for their…

Teaching practice in schools is an essential component of the professional practice courses for primary student teachers at the University of Waikato (New Zealand). During the first three years of their training, students have a combination of short term placement in normal schools, and longer blocks of teaching practice in other schools. During…

A program for preservice special education students at William Paterson College (New Jersey) offered participants field experience working with minority and disadvantaged students. Undergraduate students in their sophomore, junior, or senior classes spent one and two hours per week engaged in course assignments with pupils at the school under…

This paper describes a pilot project in which interns were clustered in an elementary school in Saskatchewan (Canada) to work in collaboration with the teaching staff toward school goals as well as internship goals. The role of the college supervisor was primarily one of supporter, problem-solver, resource provider, and idea stimulator. The…

Cognitive apprenticeships have three essential characteristics: (1) they make use of the learner's prior knowledge; (2) they allow that learned procedures for solving problems may be modified in new situations; and (3) they acknowledge that individuals generate their own solution paths, often through a collaborative process. Preservice elementary…

The guiding of novices by experienced teachers is a principal component of the practicum in university-based teacher education programs, alternative routes to teacher certification, and programs of teacher induction and professional development. Novices learn by watching an expert teach and by being in turn observed and then receiving feedback on…

This article describes a teacher education program, "Studies in Educational Alternatives" (S.E.A.), at Mankato State University (Minnesota). The program is committed to personalization and practicum experiences as major components of teacher preparation. The document discusses: (1) program design; (2) admission processes; (3)…