This article argues for the importance of broad and on-going research to support initial or pre-service teacher education program admissions. Examples from a large initial teacher education program at one Canadian university illustrate the contributions of research to the evaluation and refinement of admission processes. These examples include…

The purpose of this two-year study was to develop and assess preservice instruction incorporating current research findings on effective instruction. Qualitative and quantitative data are presented, and findings are discussed. (MT)

In this paper, action research is examined as a quintessential example of the relocation of the study of teaching from laboratory to classroom. Selected problematics in its practice, including the aims of inquiry, the nature of collaboration, and the anticipated audience for its outcomes are defined as inevitable challenges to be confronted.…

This piece was guided by the framing question "How can CEE [Conference on English Education] help its constituencies, the broader public, and policymakers understand the relationship between research and teaching?" The authors consider the usefulness of a range of empirical traditions; explore how expert language arts teachers read, conduct, and…

In this study the effects of a particular type of teacher training material on the cognitions and behaviors of prospective teachers are investigated. The study is based on the assumption that theoretical knowledge that has emerged from research and theory development in education is useful for prospective teachers. The study is confined to that…

Teacher and student behavior, feedback, principles of motor learning, task analysis, and the qualitative paradigm as they relate to physical education are discussed. This new knowledge and a new generation of teacher educators/researchers should improve the quality of instruction in the school gymnasia. (MT)

The article highlights the issues and important principles of infusing research and practice into the personnel preparation process for the field of vision disabilities. It discusses significant research and practice changes, current challenges facing the field, and considerations for the next 20 years. (SM)

The practice of student teaching is used in this report to describe a structural design model for educational practices and to illustrate applications of the model. Developing such a model involves analyzing research studies and describing related practices. The results of the research analysis in this study are applied to student teaching in the…

The Mentor Teacher Project, initiated in 1985, involved the development and implementation of a new field component into the Academic Learning Teacher Education Program at Michigan State University. The field component, piloted with the Academic Learning students in the class of 1987, was subsequently revised and its impact on the class of 1988…

After assessing its programs and teacher education research, it was decided by the Peabody College of Vanderbilt University that the ultimate goal of the programs would be to develop teachers who would be problem solvers who were able to assess each unique classroom situation and select from alternative strategies the strategy that is the…

In discussing how the use of research findings can improve teacher education program, a parallel is drawn between preservice education courses for physical education teachers and commercial training courses. A number of design and personnel characteristics that have application in teacher preparation are identified. It is pointed out that…

A survey of preservice and inservice teachers indicated high levels of expressed satisfaction with their special education methods course that focused on precision teaching. Approximately 50% had used the procedures since completion of the course in the content areas of geography, math, reading, science, vocabulary, spelling, sight vocabulary, and…

Examines the importance of improving the student teaching context, describing a research-based supervisory program that addresses preparation of cooperating teachers to function in their role and develop skills for providing effective guidance to student teachers. Cooperating teachers require course readings and activities that enable them to…

This introductory article notes the special issue's purpose of highlighting ways to close gaps between research and practice in special education from the perspective of teacher preparation, inservice training, professional development, and collaborations between researchers and teachers in local schools. (DB)

This Issue Paper includes two papers: (1) "What Can Research on Teacher Thinking Contribute to Teacher Preparation? A Second Opinion," by Robert E. Floden and Hans Gerhard Klinzing, and (2) "Taking Account of the Distinction between Knowing and Thinking in Teaching," by Magdalene Lampert and Christopher Clark. Both sets of…