In recent years there have been significant changes in education across the globe, largely as a result of changing demographics, technological developments, and increased globalization. Relatedly, the changing needs of societies and families, along with new research findings, provide new directions in early childhood education. Consequently, early…

This inquiry aimed to examine the benefits of having international field experience for a group of Hong Kong postgraduate student teachers who joined a six-week immersion programme in New Zealand. Through participants' reflections, interviews and programme evaluations, the present investigation found that the overseas field experience not only…

I investigated eight preservice teachers' understandings about culturally responsive pedagogy as they participated in a writing methods course in which they tutored children from different ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds in an afterschool program at a local community center. I also investigated how these preservice…

This paper reports a qualitative case study of four preservice student teachers' professional learning experiences in an international field experience programme situated in the language and cultural immersion component of a PGDE (Primary) Programme in Hong Kong. Two of the student teachers undertook the international field experience in Australia…

Six issues to consider when colleges make placement decisions for prestudent teaching and student teaching are diversity, collaboration, cooperating teacher preparation, challenging beliefs, mentor matching, and clustering. A study of current North American placement practices is examined. Implications of the six considerations for teacher…

Central Missouri State University faculty forged partnerships with teachers in urban charter schools in Kansas City in an effort to ensure that early childhood teacher candidates' field experiences would take place in school environments with diverse populations of students. During the spring 2001 semester, early childhood teacher candidates were…

The influences of elementary school context were studied with 88 preservice teachers student teaching in 2 different university field programs. Data support the benefits of pluralistic school experiences for future teachers and suggest that contextual conditions unique to a particular school may influence preservice teachers' learning and…

The Collaborative Learning Network: Project Genesis, a partnership between California State University, San Bernardino, and the Ontario-Monclair School District (California) and its consortium districts is a multi-faceted program consisting of three levels of training and support. Phase one, Undergraduate Service Learning, recruits potential…

This study assessed the influence of reflective thinking on the early field experiences of preservice teachers who later taught in urban settings that were radically different from those they experienced as students. Reflective thinking refers to consciously identifying and defining schooling and classroom problems, generating reasonable…

A partnership between a historically black urban college and a rural university provides urban-rural early field experience exchange for preservice teachers, offers joint educational seminars, prepares preservice teachers for the National Teacher Examination, provides technological training, recruits minorities for careers in teaching, and…

Investigated elementary preservice teachers' perceptions of a 1-week international teaching experience. Students traveled to Mexico to teach in a bilingual school and tour cultural and historical sites. Data from pre- and post questionnaires and interviews and a 1-year followup indicated lasting positive effects of this experience, in which they…

Florida Atlantic University restructured its undergraduate teacher preparation program to provide a bachelor's degree in elementary education with an English as a Second Language (ESOL) endorsement. The program prepares graduates to meet the needs of ESOL students in regular elementary classrooms. It integrates ESOL competencies into methods…

Data spanning the nine year life of a culturally-oriented field project sponsored by Indiana University indicated the feasibility and productive impact of intensive teacher preparation experiences in a cultural community (Native American) where the trainee (Anglo) functioned in the role of a minority person. For 9 consecutive years, 291 preservice…

Reports a study of white, middle-class, elementary preservice teachers who tutored poor African-American students. Interviews indicated that although all tutors claimed to care for their assigned students and to act with the best intentions, some had to overcome initial relationship difficulties to establish a connectedness with their students.…

At Indiana University, preservice teachers participate in required community-based multicultural programs that allow them to become directly involved with community characteristics, values, needs, and achievements. It is hoped that this experience will help them to adapt curriculum and instructional techniques to fit community realities and…