This study was designed to explore the ways in which preservice teachers' reflective judgment levels influenced their perceptions of and decisions about complex and ill-defined dilemmas they encountered in their field placement classrooms. Participants were ten traditional-aged juniors in a college teacher preparation program who were completing a…

These 19 papers present the voices of researchers and their work on Professional Development Schools: (1) "The Status of Early Theories of Professional Development School Potential" (C. Mantle-Bromley); (2) "Implementing and Researching Teacher Education Programs in PDSs: A Focus on Authenticity" (Gay Goodman); (3)…

This study explored how preservice elementary teachers experienced coursework and field experiences that fostered commitment to socially and pedagogically progressive teaching, especially development of against-the-grain perspectives. Interviews and observations indicated that against-the-grain perspectives evolved from complex interactions of…

This case study investigates the development of the understanding of constructivist theory among students in a Masters level elementary teacher education program within a particular course. The focus of the study is a seminar entitled "Advanced Seminar in Child Development". The questions explored include: How do students' ideas of…

This study examined the perceptions of cooperating teachers who are coaching student teachers within Professional Development School (PDS) models in two cultures. Part of an action research project conducted by the University of California-Irvine (UCI) and Beit Berl College (Israel), the study examined: (1) what contributions the cooperating…

This study investigated instructional practices in a literacy methods course in a teacher education program that was developing a reflective and integrated approach to university courses and school experiences. Along with coursework, students plan and teach lessons for children in a partnership school in which teachers have begun the process of…

A content area literacy course is examined to assess how teacher educators might respond to prospective teachers' beliefs in light of the particular goals of a particular course or teacher education experience. Content Area Literacy is a methods course that emphasizes teaching strategies and the rationales underlying them. It is examined to reveal…

This monograph provides the following 11 papers presented at a 1995 symposium on curriculum and instruction: (1) "Early Children Education in Belarus: Kindergarten No. 490" (Linda A. Good) a case study of one school for 260 children, ages 2-7; (2) "How Parents Spend Their Time" (Timothy Lillie) an investigation of how parents…

This book provides a theoretical basis and practical strategies to counter resistance to learning to teach for diversity (in culturally and gender-inclusive ways), and resistance to teaching for understanding (using student-centered and inquiry-based pedagogical approaches). Teacher educators from across the United States present rich narratives…