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…

This is a must-have resource for clinical and field experience coordinators and all educators who find themselves in the position of guiding teacher candidates. The authors provide a comprehensive toolkit for the complex work of field instruction, including mentoring approaches; conversation stems; conferencing techniques; lesson debriefing…

Teacher candidates (TCs) use clinical experiences to enact concepts taught in their university courses; therefore field experiences may be the most important component of teacher preparation (Hammerness et al., 2005). TCs require support and guidance as they learn to adapt curriculum materials for effective use in the classroom (Davis, 2006). They…

This study investigates how early clinical experiences impact teacher candidates' learning and experiences with Latina/o English learners in a field-based program housed in a multilingual, urban elementary school. We draw on multiple-case study design and use discourse analysis to explore cases of three candidates. Findings reveal exploration of…

Thirty preservice teachers enrolled in a field-based science methods course were placed at a public elementary school for coursework and for teaching practice with elementary students. Candidates focused on building conceptual understanding of science content and pedagogical methods through innovative curriculum development and other course…

Research on preservice teacher learning has often focused on coursework and course related field experiences, and not as much on the learning that takes place during student teaching field experiences. Since preservice student teachers are engaged with children on a daily basis, attention to their own students' thinking should be viewed as a means…

My exploratory case study examined the use of a learning platform to facilitate constructivist teaching strategies by pre-service teachers during their student teaching and field experiences in elementary science classes. Constructivist teaching strategies include inquiry lessons and active learning techniques. Dialogue, interviews and online…

Little research has been done on instructing student teachers by means of field studies in developing countries. Herein, I argue that sending geography students on such expeditions provides them with valuable perspectives, connections and improved knowledge, especially if they experience personal involvement and participation in addition to…

Despite the complex emotional and interpersonal challenges inherent therein, credential students often comment that their student teaching experience had the greatest influence on their development as new teachers. An essential component of teacher education programs, the field experience serves many purposes. Although the theoretical potential…

For universities located in rural areas, field placement supervisors often find it difficult to locate placements for student teachers who are specialized in areas (e.g., special education, P.E.) with a limited number of cooperating teachers in each school. In those cases, placements for student teachers may require the cooperation of schools…

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…

The Suburban Teacher Education Program (STEP), was a full-semester alternative student teaching experience at Texas Southern University, the purpose of which was for students to gain additional understanding and insight in bridging the sociocultural gap that exists between life in suburbia and the central city. This goal was achieved by providing…

This study examined the efficacy of a student teaching internship component of a teacher education program in fostering the development of reflective practitioners by investigating the experiences of preservice teachers in the program. The study noted the extent to which the various requirements of the student teachers' internships (e.g., journal…

A micro team teaching project was designed to give student teachers an increased responsibility for planning, executing, and evaluating an instructional program; to provide classroom teachers who had not previously taught in a teaching team with the opportunity to learn about the dynamics of team teaching through organizing teams of their own; to…

Early field experiences for preservice teachers can serve as a catalyst for the development of new insights and instructional techniques, particularly if they are in diverse settings. This study provided one preservice teacher with two 30-hour field experience components at two diverse sites. The project involved a comparative analysis of two…