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The move into Performance-Based Teacher Education has been precipitous. Rather than a one-shot move into what passes for a full PBTE format, a gradual phasing-in operation concurrent with suitable research seems desirable. Without the research information, PBTE may become another bandwagon passing across the educational scene without making any discernible change in teacher education. Some consistent view of the overall educational enterprise and of the teaching act, relating these to PBTE, is an absolute necessity. The PBTE move provides a useful research vehicle regardless of any verdict reached on its efficacy as a teacher education format. Current funding of educational research on a scale appropriate to the kinds of questions needing study appears limited. This suggests that a viable approach to researching both those vital questions connecting what teachers do and acceptable goals for pupils and PBTE as a vehicle must employ existing program components such as microteaching. This also suggests similar research designs be employed in many places if the summation of results is to provide useful information.