This narrative case study describes the use of improvement science methods to strengthen the effectiveness of field experiences for teacher candidates. As part of a networked improvement community, we sought to reduce variation in the quality of field experience by providing a cohesive network of high-quality coaching supports. Using design-based…

Recent policy and scholarly reports, accreditation agencies' guidelines, and professional association efforts have called for teacher preparation programs to incorporate more frequent and rigorous clinical experiences. Directing three elementary and secondary education programs in two states, we recognized that one reason they--and perhaps other…

The student teaching experience plays a significant role in teacher education programs by providing pre-service teachers with an opportunity to work directly with students in actual school settings. Recent reform movements in teacher education have emphasized mentoring and models of student teacher fieldwork such as partnerships and professional…

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) sent a research team to the University of Dayton (UD) on November 5-7, 2008, to conduct interviews with individuals who played significant roles in the university's teacher preparation program (see Appendix A). These interviews, along with additional materials provided by UD and identified by the AED…

Background/Content: Since a large gap exists between the rhetoric of reform-minded teacher education and what actually transpires in student teachers' field experiences, this study sought to fill a gap in current scholarship which has yet to document how mentor teachers, conceptualized as school-based teacher educators, shape and conduct their own…

Elementary teachers have long been absent from the debates surrounding teacher education reform. This research aimed to provide an avenue for teachers to share their insights and beliefs about teacher education. A two-tiered selection produced a sample of over two-hundred elementary teachers for this study. They were asked to compare their own…

This paper investigates the mentoring practices of 16 cooperating teachers as they prepared student teachers to integrate technology into teaching and learning activities. Data were gathered from multiple sources during a semester of student teaching. A complex variety of contextual and conceptual factors influencing the integration of technology…

Recent science education reforms have advocated inquiry-based instruction in which teachers engage students in scientific investigations and problem-solving situations as an important strategy. This study describes the background and beliefs of a preservice teacher who appears above average in her ability to create and carry out inquiry-based…

Presents an introduction by the journal editor to a special issue that features the work of faculty and students at Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, who were involved in restructuring their teacher-preparation program. At the heart of the restructuring was the specific goal of emphasizing early fieldwork experiences. (SM)

Describes the restructured, extended year Bachelor of Education/Diploma in Education Consecutive program within the Faculty of Education at Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, which emphasizes field-based experiences. After examining research supporting experience-based learning, the paper describes program planning and development…

Introduces a series of seven articles that provide different perspectives on the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a field-based teacher-education program at Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Explains features of the restructured teacher-education program, the aim and character of evaluating the program, and learning from…

Describes the use of focus groups with teacher candidates to evaluate a pilot program within the Queen's University Faculty of Education. The pilot study was designed to uncover problems in implementing the program before candidates registered. After reviewing focus-group techniques, the article describes how they were used in the pilot study's…

Wraps up a series of articles on the work of faculty and students at Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, who were involved in restructuring the teacher-preparation program to be a field-based program. Discusses the profundity of the change, the political context for implementation, and the evaluation of the program. (SM)

Analyses of the impact of reform-based teaching practices in Florida International University's program have been previously reported. However, the impact of the field experiences "per se" has not been assessed. Using a cross-case analysis approach, the authors assess the impact of voluntary field experiences with teachers who practice…

Presents the experiences of one student teacher who was part of the restructured preservice program at Queen's University of Kingston. He participated in an early field experience, where he was assigned to a school rather than a teacher and was able to witness how an entire school prepared for the beginning of a new school year. (SM)