Longitudinally examined preservice elementary teachers' attitudes and perceptions following their first field experience teaching physical education. Data from 424 student teachers who answered a list of questions indicated that they appeared to have increased their teaching skill, understanding of children, and awareness of physical education as…

Followed up six graduates from a teacher education program with an action research focus, following them through their first teaching year. Respondents felt action research was a process that helped them acquire skills, attitudes, and knowledge for teaching, especially in language arts. The study reveals lack of transference of skills learned…

Investigated the usefulness of preprofessional benchmarks and competencies as a metric for learning to teach for preservice students entering teacher-preparation programs. Preservice and cooperating teachers completed the Preprofessional Accomplished Practice Indicators Survey before, during, and after student teaching. Results indicated that the…

The article challenges the efficacy of the manager metaphor for new teachers, proposing an alternative metaphor of the teacher as technician. Teacher educators can simplify the classroom management training process by limiting the skills covered and focusing in more depth on what teachers will actually experience. (SM)

Used focus groups and questionnaires to determine what influenced successful elementary teachers' development and what they considered important for current teacher education programs. Teachers attributed much of their success to personal characteristics developed throughout their lives. They considered the practicum component of their preservice…

Describes a study in which student teachers worked in community-based human service agencies in order to double their field experience hours. Surveys and interviews with students, agency personnel, and education faculty indicated that the experience fostered knowledge, skills, and attitudes consistent with the university's promotion of democracy…

Developed an instrument to assess preservice and beginning teachers' self-perceived knowledge and abilities corresponding to INTASC principles. It initially addressed competencies in light of opportunities to learn, practice, and demonstrate. Initial instruments were cumbersome and unproductive. A simplified version requested respondents'…

The effects of three approaches to student teaching seminars were examined. Student teachers were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: coping skills training, classroom management training, or general education discussion groups. Analysis indicated that content-specific training positively affected classroom management skills,…

Describes criteria used to evaluate student teaching performance, and investigates the degree to which criteria related to academic learning time (ALT) and classroom management (CM) were incorporated into elementary student teachers' (n=368) summative rating scales. Only 15 percent of criteria were linked to ALT and 4 percent to CM. (SM)

The field of special education has been consistently plagued with serious personnel shortages, high rates of teacher attrition, criticisms of inadequate teacher preparation, and questionable student outcomes. The recent focus on increased standards and improved student outcomes adds complexity to this situation. Of paramount concern are the need…