This bulletin is one of a series reporting on the nation-wide study, "Qualification and Preparation of Teachers of Exceptional Children," which since 1952 has been one of the major projects of the Office of Education. Reported herein are the findings from the study which have bearing on the professional competence of directors and supervisors of…

While transfer of information to practice is a goal of professional development programs for educators, the gap between learning of new information and application to practice continues to be problematic. Synthesizing theoretical viewpoints of innovation adoption and diffusion theory, normative re-education strategies, self-efficacy theory and…

Data indicate that teaching attracts and retains a disproportionately high percentage of those with low measured academic ability and fails to attract and retain those with high ability. If policy makers wish to change this situation, they must be prepared to pay the price. (Author)

Ninety-one teacher candidates from six faculties of education in Ontario participated in focus group sessions. Teacher candidates expressed concerns about their ability to identify, assess, and program for children with learning disabilities. Recommendations are made that highlight the need for greater emphasis on special education throughout the…

A survey of 28 National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER) colleges found there was a small core of faculty (21%) who were highly committed to the NNER precept of parity for special education faculty and there was less commitment at the secondary level, particularly for integrated teacher training. (Contains references.) (CR)

Reports on a study of teachers participating in a mentoring program involving site-based preservice teacher education. Analyzes teacher responses in the context of a model that identifies different approaches to mentoring and different levels of operation. Finds diverse views and discusses implications for future preservice teacher education…

This case study described the perceptions and experiences of 12 African American students who transferred from a community college into a specially designed teacher education project in a predominantly white public state university. The paper presents hypotheses regarding student goal commitments, institutional commitments, and commitments to…

This study investigated preservice teachers' intentions to integrate democratic practice into their teaching and the influence of attitudes and beliefs on intentions. Participants were 76 undergraduates from 3 social studies methods classes. A theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) guided instrument development. Intention was…

The study reported in this article was focused on the first field experience in a teacher education program developed around themes of equity and social justice within a larger framework of inclusive education. The community-based field experience entails one-on-one mentoring in which elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) work with African…

This article shares an approach to teaching mathematics teacher education courses incorporating asynchronous online discussions. Specifically, this research is guided by the following research questions: (a) How would online discussions contribute or hinder teachers' learning in mathematics methods courses? and (b) What pedagogical strategies need…

The article examines, through comparative case study method, how secondary-language-arts preservice student teachers' identities were constructed by spacetime configurations and what those identities meant to the individuals in the study. It reflects on the findings from two of the preservice secondary arts teachers for the study in two…

This paper describes the effects of a labor dispute upon teacher trainees in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) alternative training program. The individual stories highlight the stress a labor dispute places on those who do not have the status of full-time teachers or prospective teachers in a traditional teacher education program.…

Field education or the practicum experience is at the core of most early childhood education preservice programs because it is viewed as the most significant contributor to the development of professional expertise. The Early Childhood Education Program at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, Canada, requires 600 hours of field education…

Because traditional performance measures may not accurately assess what students learn or are taught, some K-12 classroom teachers, states, and teacher preparation programs are beginning to use portfolio assessment to document learning and growth in learning over time. Portfolio assessment is considered a more authentic way of evaluating and…

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it describes "Teachers for Chicago" (TFC), an alternative entry program into the teaching profession aimed specifically at developing teachers for urban schools. Second, it examines how novice teachers in the program were influenced by university coursework, mentor teachers, and the…