This book presents information designed to guide the assistant professor to an understanding of the generic institutional criteria for promotion to tenure as well as of the pragmatic politics involved in pursuing a professional path. Chapters examine, in a step-by-step fashion, the many considerations to be dealt with in working towards achieving…

The student teaching field experience has proven to be one of the most critical components of teacher preparation programs, and yet little is known about how pedagogical skills develop during this period. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine student teachers' classroom interactions over the course of a 10-week student teaching…

The present study extends a previous study of student teachers' teaching potential to first-year teachers and includes variables addressing commitment to a teaching career and efficacy. Respondents consisted of 126 first-year teachers who completed questionnaires at student teaching, graduation, and one year following graduation. Seven tables are…

A study examined the positive effects that being a parent may have on communication teachers. Three major advantages that parenthood gives teachers (self-disclosure, use of humor, and the incorporation of games and activities) were considered. Several informal interviews with communication instructors who raise children were conducted. One hundred…

This study identified specific assessment and diagnostic competencies seen as important for masters level special educators. In Phase 1, objectives were gathered from the assessment courses of 61 universities preparing special education teachers. In Phase 2, an initial list of 128 competency statements (71 knowledge statements and 57 skill…

This study investigated differences between student teachers prepared in Iowa State University's contextual teacher preparation program (Project Opportunity) and student teachers prepared via traditional teacher education. Project Opportunity offered college-school collaboration and extensive field experiences at alternating rural, urban, and…

This study used a triangulated methodology involving ethnographic interviews, opinionnaires, and rank ordering of student concerns to discover variables that impacted student teachers as they passed through developmental stages. Data collected from interviews with five elementary student teachers were used to discover a developmental theory of…

Pedagogical content knowledge has been shown to be important to the work of teachers. This paper assumes it should be incorporated into the curriculum of teacher preparation and explores when and how that might be done. Results from the literature are reported in order to raise issues needing to be resolved before this question can be answered…

This study was conducted in order to examine the process of teacher development in a close interplay between educational principles and classrooms in a Singapore practicum curriculum. The process of teacher development is regarded as a continuous, self-renewing, lifelong process. Since no comprehensive constructivist model of teacher development…

A handbook for teaching assistants (TAs), teaching fellows, and graduate student assistants at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) is presented. After a brief history of the university and an overview of the school's organization, the teaching assistantship role is considered. The official Policy Statement for TAs is included, along with…

Potential influences on the student teaching experience relate to the characteristics of the placement site, the supervision of the student teacher, the requirements of the program, and the abilities of the student teacher. This study of the ecological factors that influence a student teacher's development examined the evolution of student…

This module, one in a series of performance-based teacher education learning packages, focuses on a specific skill that vocational educators need to be successful in the area of instructional execution. The purpose of the module is to help teachers identify the elements of a good lesson introduction and gain the skills needed to present an…

The contribution of the humanities to medicine is considered, with attention to the classic view, existing programs in medical school, and obstacles to continued or increased participation by the humanities. A shift is occurring in medicine toward a primary concern for sick persons, instead of disease alone. Specific values of teaching literature,…

This document describes a curriculum-led approach to college-based staff development for vocational preparation teachers. A survey of staff development needs in this area is summarized, and emphasis is placed on the attitude of college administrators to vocational preparation. The remainder of the document suggests a conceptual framework within…

This module, one in a series of performance-based teacher education learning packages, focuses on skills that vocational educators and other occupational trainers need to teach successfully at the secondary and postsecondary levels. The purpose stated for the module is to help educators become competent in organizing the vocational laboratory.…