Across the United States, there is a growing teacher shortage, and teacher education programs must balance demands for new teachers and demands for higher teacher quality. The need for increased numbers of beginning teachers in special education and rural school districts is noted. At Gonzaga University in rural eastern Washington, teacher…

This paper describes an action plan for integrating multicultural theory into a teacher education social foundations course and presents results from an evaluation of this effort. The action plan for the course was to integrate the theory and practice of multicultural education across five master questions posed by T. Berg (1999) and in the…

This paper reports on attitudes toward welfare and poverty among male and female students at a university in rural eastern Kentucky. The area has high poverty rates and low educational and employment levels, particularly among women. A 60-statement survey covering a wide range of social issues was completed by 390 undergraduates. About two-thirds…

This paper discusses the benefits of mentoring and tutoring for prospective teachers. Section 1 examines the general benefits of mentoring and tutoring for the mentors and tutors. The benefits include greater tolerance and empathy for individuals and groups in society, greater social awareness, better communication skills, greater self-confidence,…

Data collected from students about how they viewed the foundational studies component in their teacher training programs are analyzed and compared with the author's 1972-73 study of the same subject. Many more similarities are found between the two studies than differences. (JMK)

The National Teacher Examinations (NTE) performance of students with similar Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores who attended five predominantly Black and 10 predominantly White universities were studied. When grouped by race, both Black and White graduates of predominantly White institutions received higher NTE scores than Blacks and Whites…

The need to attract academically talented students to teacher education and to retain these teachers in fields such as mathematics, science, English, and foreign language teaching is discussed. Honors programs in teacher education offer one means of recruiting and holding superior students. (PP)

An evaluation study assessed the effects of a one-year student teaching internship for juniors at the University of Southern Maine on student teachers' anxiety levels and their attitudes toward pupil control. Results were compared with those of a senior year, semester-long course in student teaching. (PP)

The impact of high school and college students' prior knowledge of literary and social conventions on their attitudes toward fictional characters is examined. Differences were found in attitudes toward the teaching of literature and in evaluations of a fictional teacher's behavior. A model for research in this area is proposed. (PP)

This article describes procedures used at Pennsylvania State University to assess basic skills of applicants to the secondary school teacher education program. Tests given prior to student teaching assignments measure reading, writing, and speaking competencies. Test development and validation activities are explained. (PP)

National trends in setting admissions standards for preservice teacher education programs are reported, based on a survey of 147 member institutions of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Grade-point requirements, use of written language and mathematics tests, enrollment trends, and other factors affecting admissions…

The University of New Hampshire's five-year teacher education program attracts students who are academically able and compare favorably with students in other graduate departments. The program is described, and information about students' attitudes and aspirations is given. (PP)

Surveyed education majors (N=42) to determine what influenced their career choice. Found courses on practicum experiences in college were not significant factors for most students. Most cited their own elementary and secondary experiences as students, as well as other experiences outside the teacher education program. (Author/JAC)

Describes TAPE (Theory and Practicum Elementary), an innovative field-based teacher training option at Texas Tech University. Students electing to take the TAPE program can complete all of their professional development courses in a field-based setting. The TAPE program emphasizes the processes of learning. Includes recommendations for planning…

Investigated the effectiveness of exercises designed to promote group cohesiveness, compared to systematic human relations training for preservice teachers. Found the experimental group showed greater posttest scores on empathic responding and attitudes toward students. Suggests group exercises may have affected the participants as they perceived…