Examines how two dimensions of a community of urban science student learners--social-organizational and intellectual-thematic--evolved and influenced each other. Discusses the reasons why the teacher and student succeeded in developing a functional community but did not quite succeed in developing shared understandings in science. Contains 34…

Describes a cognitive intervention that offered novice student teachers access to the thinking underlying an expert teacher's practice, examining the implementation and impact of the cognitive intervention, which involved two 2-hour workshops held between participants' first and second practicum experiences. Workshop transcripts indicated that…

This study compared the effects of an extended, systematic on-campus laboratory experience with a similarly extensive, systematic field-based experience for preservice teachers. Results suggested that laboratory teachers, but not field experience teachers, improved their ability to reflect on teaching and facilitate desired instruction. Results…

This case study investigates the effectiveness of online peer dialogue journaling. The authors developed this learning strategy for elementary preservice teachers to reflect on their tutoring experiences and to provide support to their journal partners using an Internet discussion forum. The participants were asked to fill in two questionnaires,…

This paper describes a process of self-study that has developed between two teacher educators, their student teachers, and their school-based colleagues. The impetus for the research comes from a three-year action research project investigating the organization of and the instruction in a school integrated teacher education course aimed at…

Translating theory to practice is a major challenge for beginning teachers. An experiment was conducted to help preservice teachers meet this challenge by enhancing their capability to cope with the complexity of the classroom environment through the use of case method during their field experiences. Study participants were seven student teachers…

With the growing recognition of the importance of personal narratives as a tool for promoting and analyzing professional development, this study looked at what trends emerged from the personal narratives of female graduate students (most of whom were also teachers) when they were categorized by their rhetorical function and by stereotypical styles…

This study explored the potential of videotape and E-mail technology for developing a course delivery system encouraging personal reflection on the topic of classroom management. Since the process of teaching preservice educators techniques for democratic classroom management depends on a wide array of factors pertaining to individual personality…

This paper describes the experiences of four university teacher education institutions collaborating in an European Union-funded project called the REFLECT project: the Universities of Barcelona (Spain), Exeter (England), Trondheim (Norway), and Utrecht (Netherlands). The project s focus is on the development of reflective competencies in…

This case study documents one graduate student's reflections on her personal and professional development as a teacher as part of a portfolio project. Her story describes how she has blended a teaching philosophy that combines the traditional pedagogy of her own early education with her subsequent experiences as a student and as a teacher using…

This qualitative study examined the personal practical theories (PPTs) of the members of the supervisory triad--college supervisor, cooperating teacher, and student teacher--to discover whether PPTs could provide information about relationships within the triad. Three preservice teachers, three college supervisors, and five cooperating teachers…

This paper explores questions about the ways in which students, teachers, administrators, and parents negotiate new sets of roles and expectations for schooling in the innovative climate of a new middle school. A new school in an Australian city has implemented a coordinated package of approaches including integrated curriculum, portfolio…

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…

In 1990, a county school district in the metropolitan Atlanta area collaborated with West Georgia College's School of Education to equip experienced teachers with the skills necessary to nurture new teachers to become more reflective and to share in cooperative learning. A study was conducted to examine teachers' perceptions of the program and of…

This study described the internship of two English language arts interns, examining how their perceptions evolved during the 4.5-month, senior-year internship. The study investigated how the internship affected their perceptions of and beliefs about (1) themselves as teachers, (2) teacher professionalism, (3) their effectiveness as change agents,…