In the fall of 2012, 11% (n=157) of clinical practice (i.e. student teaching) candidates at a metropolitan university were in jeopardy of not passing clinical practice. Public schools in the area began to voice their concerns, and placements of candidates became a challenge. As a result, the university re-envisioned the program, utilizing third…

Through a teacher educator's study of her own practice as a faculty advisor (university supervisor), this paper focuses on studying theory-practice transitions with respect to mathematics pre-service teacher field experience. The purpose of the research study was to disrupt traditional discourses on these theory-practice transitions by…

This study's purpose was to make sense of divides and disconnects in a teacher education program that included university-based courses combined with school-based field experiences. The study took place in Québec, Canada, which has the longest practicum of all provinces and programs designed to develop professional autonomy and competency. Data…

Field-based observation has long been a central part of pre-service teacher education in many countries and is crucial for implementing effective practicum of pre-service teachers. This paper focused on the perspectives of graduating pre-service teachers regarding their difficulties related to administrative support, cooperating teachers, student…

Fresh from teaching his first full school year the author reflects on his traditional teacher preparation path into the classroom and finds he was instilled with a common sense of ethics, compassion, a demand for reflective practice, and a robust guiding philosophy. As a college student, he learned theory and was able to augment that with…

Thirty-two pre-service special education teachers carried out a 14-week informal practicum arranged for the purposes of this research to accompany the three classes they were taking in their program of study and to provide them with the needed setting and opportunities for hands-on experiences and reflection as they construct an understanding of…

An adult education practicum was designed to help adult learners turn theory into praxis. Supervised field experience and seminars for reflection and discussion helped professionals integrate their content knowledge with learning in practice. (SK)

The Cooperative Educational Administration Internship Program (CEAIP), an innovative program developed and initiated in 1987, is described and evaluated in this report. Methodology, in the creation of CEAIP, involved document review, individual and group interviews, and assessment survey instruments. Recommendations for program improvement include…

Literature on clinical experiences in educational administration programs is reviewed along with materials collected from University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) member institutions. Focus is on materials that support the value of structured clinical experiences. A framework for clinical experiences is developed, which is based on…

A long-standing goal for many teacher preparation programs is to link theory to practice (i.e., "linkages") for teacher candidates through close university-school partnerships. Essentially, the professional development schools (PDS) models were established to bridge this gap of theory and practice and to provide an environment in which…

Suggest ways library education must change in order to prepare its graduates for technology-rich careers. Topics include technology skills and knowledge as core competencies; computer literacy; teaching practical skills as well as theory; field experience, practicums, or internships; and the rate of technological change. (LRW)

The Special Education Training Program at South Carolina State University offers training for school administrators on both theory and practice in designing, developing, implementing, and supervising programs for students with special needs in least restrictive environments. Each course requires a 10-hour field experience and students must also…

College campuses create small communities where mutually beneficial partnerships can be used to create practical work experiences for students. The procedure outlined in this article outlines how to create a partnership between the campus health and recreation center and an academic department to evaluate the implementation of a new smoking…

Educational reformists have asserted that collaborative relationships between universities and local education agencies must be firmly established if improvements are to occur in the preservice preparation of school administrators. One collaboration format involves practica and other field-based learning opportunities for aspiring administrators.…

A graduate children's-studies course at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia implemented a rural and remote practicum to expose students to the special needs of children and families in rural communities. Many graduates will eventually work in the country, and prospective rural employers look for graduates with experience in rural settings.…