The normal school began in Iowa in 1849, developed early partnerships with local districts, and evolved into the current situation of 29 teacher education institutions (TEIs). By 1980, 42.5% of Iowa's population was rural; a 1981-1982 study showed 37.5% of Iowa's students were in rural districts. A follow-up placement study of the University of…

The potential value of the student teaching experience was investigated by examining attitudes of student teachers, cooperating teachers, and university supervisors toward objectives and skills to be achieved during student teaching. A literature search revealed three broad categories of skills that should be acquired during student teaching: (1)…

This paper reports on a study of the teacher education practices and student characteristics that contribute to successful teachers of minority children, particularly African-American, whose background differs from their own. The study was conducted over two years on cohorts of students from a reflective teacher education program. First year…

Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, developed a preservice teacher education program that holistically assesses the skills of teacher candidates to better identify prospective teachers from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and disability-related groups. Careful attention is paid to the admissions process, and program applicants are assessed…

This paper examines the place of formative evaluation in the design of a teaching practice curriculum in Greece. It describes the practicum and discusses the process and content of reflection based on two years of formative evaluations. Students' thoughts focused mainly on themselves, on general pedagogy, and on their pupils' differentiated…

Describes the evolution of the Vermont state-mandated system of prospective teacher evaluation by portfolio and examines the Middlebury College (Vermont) portfolio design and its effect on restructuring of teacher preparation programs, the student teacher practicum, and professional relationships with cooperating teachers. (SM)

This article describes different types of teaching practices employed in the University of Barcelona's teacher training college, the function of the teacher as tutor, and the teacher/tutor's relationship with student teachers and experienced classroom teachers. It also introduces a model of teacher educators' practices, and discusses…

The preservice teacher education program at the University of Western Sydney (Australia) includes in-school experiences intended to address criticisms of the traditional practicum. This article outlines the principles underlying an innovative final semester school-based experience; describes the experiences in practice; and discusses student,…

Teacher education programmes are often quite similar in their framework and content but often lack sufficient reflection on the personal background and the socio-political forces that shape teachers' roles and identity within the systems in which they operate. This paper explores this issue by using Ghana as a case study and discusses implications…

Recent developments about cognitions underlying mathematical learning are beginning to suggest that the activation and appropriate use of prior knowledge by students is, to a large measure, controlled by the quality of organisation of that knowledge. Thus, teaching needs to support the construction of well-connected mathematical knowledge. An…

This paper considers ways in which trainee teachers can be helped to develop their ability to engage in reflection on their practice. The context for the research is a Block School Experience developed by tutors in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of Sunderland. An exploration of the nature of reflective practice…

This publication is a practical manual to guide the joint efforts of the student teaching triad--student teacher, cooperating teacher, and university supervisor. The manual is divided into three parts. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 give an overview of Mansfield University's teacher education and student teaching programs, including a description of…

This paper describes a study designed to determine the congruency of preservice student learning experiences with student needs and expectations. During the 1991-1992 academic year, 39 secondary student teachers responded to 3 analytical questions about their student teaching experiences. Responses were analyzed and ranked in three categories. In…

This study examines the effectiveness of the student teaching component of primary school teacher training in Kenya by reporting on the results of questionnaires administered to 300 student teachers, 80 program graduates who are not teaching, and 60 college tutors. Chapter 1 details the background of the study, including its purpose, significance,…

This monograph contains a description of continued research efforts in measuring and evaluating preservice teacher competencies and effectiveness in the competency-based teacher education (CBTE) program at the University of Toledo (Ohio). Chapter 1 introduces the assessment rationale, and chapter 2 provides an overview of research literature on…