A longitudinal study examined the content and goals of an undergraduate social studies methods course and compared course perspectives to a teacher's perspectives as she progressed through the course, through student teaching, and into beginning teaching. Results highlight many issues related to methods courses and teacher induction. (SM)

The Teacher Peer Support Program (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) described in this report was monitored for 2 years, from its inception in the 1990-1991 school year. The main objective of the research was to ascertain the degree of success of a formal induction program. Sources of information included questionnaire data from two cohorts of novice and…

Evaluating the effectiveness of present pre-service programs in vocational agriculture in preparing beginning teachers to perform specific employment-related tasks was undertaken as a research project. The study provides data for teacher educators in planning programs to improve teacher performance in tasks related to cognitive and psychomotor…

This paper discusses the nature of teacher induction programs and of research on this topic in European, North American, and Australian countries. Research studies and induction program content and processes in the various countries are explored and compared. Among assertions and conclusions made from this study, which is meant to stimulate…

To determine the impact of program structure on new teachers' employment and program satisfaction patterns, data were collected from 152 students who completed three routes to licensure: a graduate-level, 10-month program; a traditional undergraduate program; or a Professional Development School (PDS) operating within the traditional program.…

This report describes the implementation and operation of a 6-month peer coaching program, "Collegial Coaching: Transfer of Learning through Reflective Practice," at Estacado High School in Lubbock (Texas). The program was originally designed to assist teachers to improve their own management and instruction in the classroom. However, it…

This study, currently in progress, explores the perceptions of 75 near graduate primary teacher education students at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, about their preparedness to teach. It investigates the students' views about the areas of teaching for which they feel the 3-year program of teacher education at the School of…

Mentoring programs have consistently demonstrated their value in assisting new and early faculty members to make successful adjustments and productive contributions to the academy. Yet, mentoring programs have failed to be consistently implemented despite their efficacy and increasing levels of job dissatisfaction reported by new and early faculty…

The philosophy and structure of the Regional Staff Development Center capitalize on local expertise and energy. This structure of cooperation affords 4,500 Wisconsin educators the opportunity to learn from each other through alliances, networks, study committees, and specialized roles. Recognizing and showcasing the positive contributions of area…

This study examined the differences between Illinois beginning elementary and secondary teachers' perceptions of staff development activities and their sources of assistance during the first year. A survey in spring 1989 received responses from 601 elementary and 234 secondary teachers. Beginning elementary teachers rated the importance of staff…

Included in this volume are a series of dialogues about various approaches to teacher education. Each dialogue consists of a brief sketch of a particular teacher education program, along with a response from the director of that program. The sketches, though organized differently, tend to describe similar program features: purposes, context,…

A graduate program component that assigned mentors to preservice special education teachers of students with severe disabilities is described. Characteristics of effective mentoring programs, the mentoring needs of preservice teachers of students with severe disabilities, and the mentorship program components are discussed. An evaluation of the…

Teacher educators visited the classrooms of elementary teachers they had prepared to observe and interview them. Their research discovered an interplay between the philosophy and pedagogy of their program and the graduates' practice, the individual teacher's preparation and practice and the school culture, and what observers saw and understood.…

In this study, the researchers examined the effectiveness of a reflective model of peer mentoring in the professional growth of early-career science teachers. The study was carried out over one academic year with three beginning secondary science teachers. The public school teachers in this study reported that participation in peer mentoring…

Relationships and leadership, that, in a nutshell, is the vision of professional learning in the remote Northern Lights School Division in Alberta, Canada. This article describes the professional learning provided by Northern Lights, which has been building its capacity for teacher and leadership growth for more than 13 years. The division: (1)…