A study examined 12 suburban preservice teachers' reactions to an educational field experience in an economically disadvantaged rural school district. Most participants' reactions were negative and based on stereotypes. They did not grasp the complications of poverty nor how geographic isolation might affect this school district. Recommendations…

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)

Revision of the Bachelor of Education program at the University of Alberta (Canada) and results of an initial formative evaluation of one program component--students' first school placement--are described. Program revisions based on continual student and teacher feedback obtained from ongoing formative evaluation enabled positive program…

Describes how engaging preservice and inservice teachers in the process of documenting children's learning in preschool and primary classrooms enhances learning, promotes reflective thinking, and encourages professional growth. Explains that documentation provides teachers opportunities to observe children more closely; focus on children's…

The purpose of the study described in this paper was to determine 15 American preservice teachers' (PTs) conceptions of the teaching-learning process while teaching Sport Education and Multi-activity units during an early field experience. Data were collected using the critical incident technique and a reflective questionnaire and analyzed by…

This article reprises four presentations on "Gerontology Education in Kenya," a seminar at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the Association of Gerontology in Higher Education. It describes the process by which the Gerontology Institute of Georgia State University established a 3-year gerontology education and research partnership with Kenyatta…

This qualitative study examines mentors' interpretations of their practice as revealed through writing and discussing their cases in a university postgraduate course in Israel. The data were examined for emergent features of the practice of in-service mentoring in the Jewish and Arab sectors within the Israeli school system. Content analysis of…

This study investigated the impact of a three-week pilot practicum experience in an Aquarium setting on secondary pre-service biology teachers' epistemologies and pedagogies of teaching and learning. A qualitative case study methodology was employed to examine the experiences, views of teaching and learning, and teaching development of a small…

A total of 274 preservice teacher education students were surveyed at the beginning and end of a one-semester unit on Human Development and Education which combined formal instruction with structured fieldwork experiences. The latter included interviewing community members regarding their knowledge of Down syndrome and opinions on inclusive…

Helping students learn how to engage thoughtfully with religious diversity is a vital component of democratic citizenship. This article argues for the importance of such a curriculum and considers the challenges and potential inherent in fostering "imaginative engagement" with religion in public school classrooms. It first explores conceptual…

This article explores the impact of high-stakes gate-keeping assessments (of both K-12 students and new teachers) on teacher development of equitable teaching practices. Drawing from two studies of field experiences in Washington State--one of teacher interns and one of cooperating teachers--findings include that state level policies in response…

Despite a steady increase in the number of internship programs in educational administration, there is little empirical evidence with which to determine how internships affect both the intern's learning and the mentor-administrator. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the intern-mentor relationship. The sample included 18…

Effective supervision of student teachers has become a growing concern for teacher educators due to the increased emphasis placed on field experience in teacher preparation programs. Lacking an effective means of providing intervention, feedback, and reinforcement during the process, supervisors, both cooperating teachers and university based…

An effective partnership among university students and professors, school district administrators, teachers, elementary school students, and parents from the school community is described. Relationships originally formed through a Title VII Transitional Bilingual Education grant were strengthened through the development of the Sam Houston State…

The paper describes facets of the teacher education program at Alverno College (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) that facilitate teacher empowerment, especially the use of multicultural education to empower urban educators. It discusses aspects of urban teacher development, describes the teaching/learning and assessment processes that develop teachers, and…