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Encouraged in large part by the work of Schon (1983), teacher education programs have spent the last two decades providing preservice teachers with experiences designed to help them examine their [...]

Blended learning is increasingly being adopted at all levels of the educational system. It continues to gain primacy in the teaching and learning environment as both students and teachers seek to integrate familiar information communication technology (ICT) into their classroom activities. Additionally, it allows the teacher, as a facilitator of learning, and the learner, the opportunities of working in both the face-to-face and online environments. This paper provides a basic review of blended learning and some ways it may be used in teacher preparation programs to support the effective integration of ICT within the classroom environment., INTRODUCTION Increasingly, variations of blended learning are being adopted at all levels of the education system, as instructors explore different ways to facilitate learning, and learners become more engaged in [...]

Abstract With the teacher concerns theory (Fuller, 1969) as a theoretical framework, this study has set out to examine how physical education teacher candidates perceive their implementation of the Personal [...]

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of concerns by type (self task, and impact) of preservice physical education teachers participating in an early field experience. [...]

In this article, the authors discuss how they redesigned an educational psychology course for preservice teachers using insights from the burgeoning, interdisciplinary field of the Learning Sciences. Research on the situated nature of learning and the value of out-of-school contexts for supporting children's development informed their decisions to require preservice teachers to work with children in community-based settings, frame their interactions with children as 'service' rather than as explicit preparation for teaching, and conduct research on the social, cultural, and cognitive nature of these experiences. Two case studies illuminate preservice teachers' learning trajectories in relation to course practices. Analyses suggest that the course created opportunities for preservice teachers to develop views of learning as inherently cultural and not limited to the acquisition of academic content. Emerging findings point to the potential of using Learning Sciences research as a touchstone for reorganizing educational psychology courses for preservice teachers. Keywords case study, elementary teacher education, field experiences, Over the past 20 years, the interdisciplinary study of learning, teaching, and the design of educational environments, hereafter referred to as the Learning Sciences, has extended our understanding of the [...]

Abstract In recent years, there has been extensive examination and scrutiny of the education system and teacher education programs, more specifically, physical education teacher education (PETE) programs. Lawson (1991) and [...]

During the Spring 2009 semester, a group of students in their first semester of the teacher education program at the University of Texas--Pan American were required to participate in field observations. As part of their field observation assignments, they were required to write reflections on six topics related to learning theory. For each reflection, students followed a specific three part format: 1) observe the theory in question as it was being applied in the classroom, 2) evaluate the mentor teacher's implementation of the theory, and 3) determine what changes they would make to the lesson or strategy to improve its effectiveness. Students then posted each of their reflections on a discussion board, read one other posting by a classmate and responded to it. A rubric based on the higher order thinking skills curriculum (Anderson, 1990) was used to assess the level of critical thinking in each discussion. Results indicated that the majority of subjects did reach the higher levels of critical thinking. Specifically, most students reached the level of analysis (level 4); the mean rating across all six reflections was 4.39, on a scale of 1 to 6 with 1 being recall and 6 being synthesis. The results of the study suggested that the format of the prompts, which required students to not only observe, but also evaluate the implementation of a theory and suggest modifications for improvement promoted the development of students' higher order thinking skills., INTRODUCTION preparing effective teacher candidates is a challenging and complex undertaking. This is due to the ever changing nature of the classroom. In order to better prepare teacher candidates we [...]

This essay documents a few key examples of the critical pedagogy and curriculum that we employ to challenge pre-service and in-service teachers to consider the concrete and theoretical contexts of [...]

This research addresses the benefits of integrating a technology-based attendance system based on classroom management techniques (CAMTs and CARs) in the teacher education program in Kuwait. Several areas of attendance [...]

This article reports the findings of a study to examine the practicality and efficacy of using tablet computers in the Higher Education classroom. Students in a senior level teacher preparation [...]

In 1989, the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE) published 'The Knowledge Base for the Beginner Teacher'. More than a decade later, teachers, teacher educators and scholars from across the country came together to revise and refine the curriculum in teacher education. This article focuses on the recommendations of the Committee on Teacher Education (CTE) which wrote three books describing the basic foundational knowledge that all American teachers--including special education teachers--should know before they graduated from their pre-service programs. In this paper, the authors articulate the CTE's recommendations and then provide additional special education content recommendations for general education teachers working in highly diverse inclusive classrooms., Introduction In 1989, the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE) published 'The Knowledge Base for the Beginner Teacher' (Reynolds, 1989). In that volume, Henrietta Barnes (1989) stated that [...]

Limited opportunities for non-degree holders, public education quality and the looming shortage in the profession are some of the challenges that need to be addressed through enhanced teacher preparation. Teacher residency programs and promotion of student outcomes through the Race to the Top Fund are discussed.

In talk about teacher preparation and professional development, we often hear the word practice associated with what, how, or when the learning of teaching is supposed to happen. In this article, four different conceptions of practice are investigated, and their implications for how learning teaching might be organized are explored. Rather than a comprehensive review of the literature, what is presented here is a set of ideas that draw on both past and present efforts at reform. The purpose of this essay is to provoke clarification of what we mean when we talk about practice in relation to learning teaching. The author draws on her own research on the work of teaching from the perspective of practice to represent the nature of the work and to speculate from various perspectives on how that work might be learned. Keywords teaching, practice, teacher education, professional development, In talk about teacher preparation and professional development, we often hear the word practice associated with what, how, or when learning the work of teaching is supposed to happen. Listening [...]

The hopes and dreams for our shared JTE editorship began 6 years ago over three bowls of tortilla soup. During that lunchtime meeting, through deliberation and debate, we formed our [...]

This study investigated computer technology preparation of pre-service teachers as well as their willingness and abilities to integrate it into their classrooms in their work as future teachers. Fifty- four female pre-service teachers participated in this study. They were all enrolled in an educational technology course in a leading university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The results indicated that the participants perceived themselves to be ready to use different kinds of software as part of the curriculum. The participants indicated that their abilities to select, evaluate and use different technological resources improved. They also indicated that they were prepared and willing to integrate technology into their classrooms., INTRODUCTION Educational technology courses can provide pre-service teachers with new knowledge, add to their knowledge and enhance their teaching skills and provide them with an access to new resources. Education [...]

A learning-team model that can be used by teachers to learn between team meetings is suggested. Teachers should create a cultural shift in the school by stressing the importance of 'teachers as learners.' Teachers should then create an understanding of the process by emphasizing that the aim of learning teams is strengthen student learning.

Abstract Despite increasing criticism, many educational leadership programs have been actively engaged in restructuring to meet school systems' needs for well-prepared leaders. This paper examines three such efforts focused in [...]

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to learn how beginning elementary teachers understood and used curriculum materials for teaching reading, and how, in turn, these materials shaped teachers' instruction. We followed 4 teachers who worked in markedly different school situations and were provided a variety of curriculum materials, ranging from scripted reading programs to supplemental materials without teaching guides. Data were gathered through classroom observations, interviews, and curriculum artifacts over the teachers' first 3 years on the job. Our analysis suggested that curriculum materials interacted with teachers' knowledge of reading and reading instruction, and with the contexts in which they worked. As a result, curriculum materials both fostered and inhibited teachers' on-the-job learning. We found that the 2 teachers with weak knowledge or more restrictive materials and environments learned the least and were least able to adapt instruction to meet the needs of their students. The 2 teachers with stronger knowledge, access to multiple materials, and support for decision making regarding materials and instructional strategies learned the most and were most able to adapt instruction. Furthermore, early experiences with specific curriculum materials had effects 2 years later on these teachers' instructional practices. Implications for curriculum mandates, material selection, and professional development are discussed.

The research study presented here was conducted by two educational technology faculty members, one from special education and the other from general education, and their respective undergraduate classes. This study […]

Abstract Teacher education programs are responding to increased accountability, data reporting measures, and performance-based assessment requirements for certification. This article describes a university-PDS collaboration to create a performance-based instrument to [...]

Abstract This descriptive survey study investigated student teachers' sources of self-efficacy. Using simultaneous regression, we predicted student teachers' sense of efficacy using their relationship with mentors, amount of field experiences, [...]

Abstract 'Teaching today is much harder than it used to be' is a commonly heard refrain. Unfortunately the hardships faced by many of today's first year teachers have caused too [...]

The value of university-based programs of teacher education in preparing high-quality teachers is currently the focus of increasingly contentious debate among researchers, policy makers, and media experts. To a large extent, public awareness and understanding of the work of teacher education is filtered through one or another of these lenses because direct public experience with programs of teacher education is limited. The authors developed a capstone event, termed the 'Public Conversation,' for their graduate-level, Teacher Education Program as a means of introducing graduates to the community and engaging a variety of community members in substantive dialogue around significant and enduring issues related to teaching and learning in the public schools. This article reports on impacts of the Public Conversation on community members, public school professionals, and university faculty, who participated as critical friends in this process. Keywords: critical friends; Public Conversation, In June 2002, with little or no input from the education community, the U.S. Department of Education published a major policy statement on preparation of new teachers (Meeting the Highly [...]

This article examines the integration of social justice in teacher education and defines dimensions of teachers' opportunities to learn. Findings come from a comparative case study of two elementary teacher education programs: the Teachers for Tomorrow's Schools Program at Mills College and the Teacher Education Intern Program at San Jose State University. Combining concepts from sociocultural theory and a theory of justice for the conceptual framework, this study illustrates how these programs addressed social justice in university courses and how teachers' opportunities to learn varied across specific dimensions. Specifically, this article highlights teachers' opportunities to develop conceptual and practical tools related to social justice as emphasizing the needs of students identified by their membership in educational categories and the needs of students identified by their status in oppressed groups. In addition, it addresses how variation in teachers' opportunities informed their conceptions of students and their preparation. Keywords: teacher education; social justice; multicultural education; sociocultural theory; teacher preparation, Vanessa, a student teacher in Oakland, California, begins a writing lesson by reading The Owl Moon. She instructs her first and second graders to snap when they recognize a descriptive [...]

Some time ago in this journal and elsewhere (Cochran-Smith, 2000, 2001), I began to write about what I called 'the outcomes question in teacher education,' by which I meant the [...]

Abstract Researchers, policy makers, and university faculty continue to debate reasons for teacher attrition. By looking at dispositions and teachers' feelings of efficacy, insight can be gained into the teacher [...]

The teacher researchers credit National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) for its record of making teacher research conducted at all levels of instruction available in books, journals and meetings to connect already-formed teacher research groups to one another as a means of extending and enriching locally developed sustained conversations of teacher researchers. It is suggested that NCTE should form partnerships with institutions of higher education and local school districts to support new teacher's entrance into the profession by preparing them in teacher induction academies.

Teacher educators embrace the messages that 'classroom teachers must be multicultural' and 'teacher educators are charged with nurturing multicultural tenets.' However, most teacher educators indicate that student resistance substantially impedes the success of both. This study investigated the relationship between instructional methodology and changes in resistance to cultural diversity sensitivity among Caucasian teacher education students in a required junior-level cultural diversity course. Both empirical and qualitative instruments were used to examine the importance of instructional methodology. The Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory (CDAI) was used as a pretest and posttest empirical measure; and reflective journals, field experience reports, and research projects were examined to investigate incremental changes. The study results indicated that the message can precipitate some change in cultural diversity sensitivity, but the methodology used to reduce resistance and nurture and reinforce the message has a greater influence. Keywords: teacher education; cultural diversity; preservice teachers; self-concept, The census extrapolations of Haberman (1989, 1991) connote that by 2010, 95% of K-12 classroom teachers will be Caucasian, middle-class females with limited cross-cultural interaction. In contrast, the student population [...]

Since the time teacher education emerged as an identifiable activity, there have been few periods when it was not being critiqued, studied, rethought, reformed, and, often, excoriated. The title of [...]

SCIENCE EDUCATION traditionally has received insufficient attention. As a literature review shows, teacher preparation in science will be best served by improvements in pedagogy and in the content of required undergraduate science courses. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993, 1995) and the National Research Council (1993, 1995) have addressed this need in advocating a 'science for all' that is highly significant for diverse learners. The No Child Left Behind Act emphasizes that reform of teacher preparation is part of an urgent national commitment to bring high-quality teacher candidates into the classroom. The Gallaudet University undergraduate teacher education program has developed an inquiry-based course that emphasizes integration of the sciences. Acquisition of the Full Option Science System, and its adaptation to and integration into the course, has resulted in specific curricular changes and positive results.