This study investigated the impact of differing models of practicum placements on teacher candidates' (TC's) abilities to practice teaching skills and receive feedback on their teaching. Within the Professional Development School (PDS) model TCs were placed as cohorts in a single PDS site with at least one college faculty member assigned as a…

The purpose of this study was to investigate middle level preservice teacher self-efficacy beliefs in general, as well as in the domain of reading. The participants were 8 middle school preservice teachers enrolled in a state-mandated reading methods course and student teaching over the course of a year. As part of the yearlong internship, the…

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…

In teacher education, as in many fields, there are several truths, each based on different assumptions and beliefs. "Conventional teacher education reflects a view of learning to teach as a two-step process of knowledge acquisition and application or transfer." In this view of truth, the university provides theory, skills, and knowledge…

This symposium addresses the historical development of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) Professional Development School (PDS) in collaboration with the Hamilton County Public Schools. The study goes from PDS I, a semester-long initial field experience, to a major component of the teacher preparation program with the addition of PDS…

This study assessed the effectiveness of a site-based teacher education program for undergraduate seniors at the University of Houston. The program's final field-based year is divided into a professional development semester and student teaching. During the professional development semester, students are placed in Professional Development Sites…

Describes a practicum that occurred at one of Indiana State University's elementary school professional development sites. The practicum involved 10 site visits over two weeks for participating preservice teachers. The paper examines benefits of the practicum for preservice teachers and the advantages of conducting it at a PDS site. (SM)

This report describes some outcomes of the Texas initiative to restructure teacher preparation according to a field-based model, discussing its processes, problems, and challenges and suggesting that the resulting improvements in teacher education are well worth the additional effort and expense. Section 1, Introduction, presents an overview of…

Elementary and secondary preservice teachers' philosophical perspectives were examined before and after their participation in field-based activities in a professional development school. A philosophical perspective survey was administered at the start and again at the end of the semester. The five categories were existentialism, behaviorism,…

This paper describes the evolution of a Professional Development School (PDS) continuum for urban teachers through 5 years of school-university collaboration. The paper reports the impact on education students completing internship experiences at urban PDS's, discusses the impact of the collaborative initiative on PDS faculty, and identifies…

This paper reports on data from a 4-year, cross-sectional study of preservice teachers who participated in a yearlong Professional Development School internship/student teaching experience. Preservice teachers worked in classrooms with mentor teachers for two 8-week placements during the fall semester and returned to student teach with the same…

Responds to three articles in previous issues of this journal on teaching classroom management in preservice teacher education. Outlines how Texas Southern University students learn and practice management approaches in field-based classes, which makes their learning constructivist, learner centered, and powerful. (SM)

Describes a pilot preservice teacher preparation program at an Austin (Texas) middle school. The program focused on teaching reflection to interns. Intern data formed the basis of a conceptual model that describes four forms of reflective activity (critical observation, reflection-on-action, reflection-in-action, and purposeful change) and…

This study compared preservice teachers' perceptions of their changing philosophies of education, comparing the reports of graduates from traditional, university-based programs with reports of graduates from intensive field-based programs. For eight semesters, teacher education graduates received a program evaluation survey in the mail 2 weeks…

Findings from a study of seven novice teachers who graduated from Elmhurst College (Illinois) indicate that the preservice clinical experiences received by these teachers during their participation in the Satellite Program contributed to successful first-year teaching experiences. This follow-up study examines Satellite Program graduates who…