This paper reviews the student teacher failure literature and describes a study on the causes of failure, noting implications for teacher education institutions. The study involved a systematic analysis of the files of student teachers who failed at one university from 1994-97. Failure of student teaching was defined as either choosing to quit…

This paper describes a model developed at one urban university to guide student teachers through a semester-long process of reflecting upon their teaching skills using state and national standards. The model required analysis of professional abilities using a self-assessment of teaching skills tool. Under this model, preservice student teachers…

Five universities in New York State (SUNY--State University of New York at Stony Brook, Syracuse, Cornell, Binghamton, and New York Universities--are involved in a 3-year project to better prepare graduate students to become teachers. The State University of New York, Stony Brook, English Department is providing graduate teaching assistants with…

This keynote address by a school principal examines the importance of retaining the best teachers in order to maintain a high quality of education. This means keeping teachers happy and motivated, since they are the crucial part of most solutions to challenges. Principals expect teachers to be loyal to the school and staff; to be peak performers…

In 1982 K. M. Bailey cautioned that the development of training programs for international teaching assistants (ITAs) had preceded any systematic investigations of problems associated with ITAs. This article responds to Bailey's call by systematically reviewing available research in three critical areas of ITA-student interactions, namely: (1) ITA…

Research has provided a set of findings that administrators may find useful for observing teachers and evaluating their performance. One such research-based strategy, designed for elementary and middle school administrators, teachers, and supervisors, involves the entire school staff in designing teacher observations to fit the needs of the…

A study identified competencies high school industrial arts courses can develop that would be valuable to students who enroll in postsecondary programs. Its purpose was to develop a basis for recruiting students for high school industrial arts courses. Data were collected through a national survey of directors of one- and two-year postsecondary…

This paper investigates the problem of developing judicially sound and workable standards for dismissing incompetent teachers. Numerous cases are cited to support the contention that there is a desperate need for stable standards of performance that will have the qualities necessary to withstand judicial scrutiny: (1) required teacher knowledge,…

This paper considers the scholarly knowledge base that exists on classroom management in an effort to educate teachers about managing classrooms and students. The concepts of instruction, classroom management, student socialization, and disciplinary intervention as functions commonly performed by teachers are defined. It is argued that a sustained…

A prototype low inference observation instrument to measure minimal teaching competencies of teaching candidates was deductively developed. Focus is on determining if observers could be trained to use the observation instrument with a high degree of reliability and validity. The instrument, entitled Classroom Observation and Assessment Scale for…

The microteaching course continues to be a focal point in the preservice training of science teachers. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate the effects of a microteaching course on preservice science teachers' perceptions of teaching, instructional behaviors, decision making skills, and any changes in beliefs occurring…

This ongoing project, which involves the videotaping of classroom events, is being conducted in order to: (1) build a collection of videotape records of excellent instruction in selected classrooms and in various curriculum areas while maintaining the natural flow of classroom activities; (2) enable teachers and student teachers to collect…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of graduates of the teacher education programs of Tennessee Technological University toward the teaching profession and the program they completed at the university. The study focused on the differences in attitudes between: (1) graduates who completed their degrees in 1973, 1978, 1983,…

One common sense approach to college teaching might simply be to implement those practices that are proven reliable and frequently review the methods that seem to result in learning and those that do not. Guidelines based on some instructional approaches that have worked at Mohawk College in Ontario, Canada include the following: (1) assume that…

This paper describes a pilot project that investigated two key elements of the Teaching Skills Laboratory Network. The first of these was the use of a performance assessment instrument, and the second was the development of a teacher education database. In order to provide a contextual perspective, the discussion of these two items is prefaced by…