The benefits of field courses for biological science students are well established, but field courses also have limitations: they are generally too brief to allow significant research and they are staff-designed and led, limiting the development of student autonomy. In contrast, the value of student-organised field expeditions has been little…

It is widely held among biology teachers that fieldwork is valuable, but little is heard about students' perception of fieldwork or about the reasons for their liking or disliking fieldwork. This paper uses data from students to explore the hypotheses (1) that biology students with a positive perception of fieldwork have a less positive perception…

A study examined students' reasons for, and implications of, choosing a traditional student teaching program or a field-based program of preservice teacher education. The traditional student teaching program and the field-based program were offered concurrently for a short period of time at Texas A&M University--Commerce. Students enrolled in…

Investigating the attitudinal effects of a college course on a class of senior education majors, this study involved an experimental group which attended the regular class supplemented by a field centered experience and a control group which only engaged in the regular class. (JC)

This study examined the effects of the field experience for student teachers in terms of pupil outcomes. Two main questions were posed: (1) Does the reading or mathematics achievement of pupils in classrooms with a student teacher differ from the achievement of pupils in classrooms without a student teacher? and (2) Among classrooms with a student…

A method of teaching alternative dispute resolution (ADR) involves sending students to observe actual ADR sessions, by agreement with the agencies conducting them, and then analyzing the students' observations in focused discussions to improve student insight and understanding of the processes involved. (MSE)

Contemporary clinical educational programs at five colleges of podiatric medicine are reviewed. Both classroom contact hours and clinical experience are examined and compared among institutions. Course offerings in podiatric medicine, radiology, surgery, othopedics, community health, etc., are listed by college. (MLW)

As student financial aid for master's programs in social work has decreased, the necessity for paid employment-related field replacements has increased. One alternative--the field placement contracting process--is examined as an avenue for restructuring the work experience to better suit the educational needs of the student employee. (Author/MH)

The purpose of this study was to compare the teaching of preservice teachers in both a controlled and a natural setting prior to student teaching. Data were collected on single lessons of each subject (n=14) who taught in a peer teaching microlesson and a lesson within units taught at a local high school. Subject matter was controlled so that each…

Results of the Patient Encounter Project are reported, which documented all clinical experiences of 36 medical students for seven months in the Rural Physician Associate Program and compared these experiences with those of a control group of 26 third-year students in the regular curriculum at the University of Minnesota.

Perceptions of 72 elementary teachers supervising in a competency-based teacher-education program were compared with the perceptions of 54 elementary teachers supervising in a field-based program. Significant differences were found between the two groups on cooperative program planning and interns' influence on classroom teachers' instructional…

The differences in the field experiences of elementary student teachers and secondary student teachers were studied in 36 student teachers over a two-semester field experience. Methodology and results are reported, and recommendations to improve the field experience of secondary education student teachers are given. (JL)

A study compared performance on the Area Concentration Achievement Test in Social Work (ACAT) of 32 undergraduates who had nearly completed a field practicum and 38 who had not begun it. Results showed no difference in the groups' knowledge of social work professional foundation overall or in individual content areas. Other variables that could…

Uses journals to record perceptions of student teachers of music during a pre-service teaching experience and determines factors that strongly affect perception. Indicates that expectations and evaluations were lower for students teaching at the elementary level when it was their second placement. (CMK)

Replacing student teaching with internships and replacing clinical supervision with mentoring have been suggested as needed reforms in teacher preparation. Memphis State University (Tennessee) has initiated three different secondary teacher preparation programs: (1) a baccalaureate program with a full day and 10- to 12-week intership; (2) a 15…