This study utilizes a sociocultural activity theory approach to determine how, if at all, undergraduate coursework affects the attitudes of preservice English teachers, enrolled in a graduate teacher education program. Specifically, the study examines if there is any affect on the way the preservice teachers think about the teaching of writing…

In October/November 2009, the Forum on Education Abroad conducted its third State of the Field Survey. This survey provides an annual or biannual assessment of key education abroad issues and topics of interest to Forum members and the field of education abroad at large. Previous State of the Field surveys were conducted in 2006 and 2008. The 2009…

Though the importance of including practicum experiences in programs for the preparation of elementary preservice teachers is generally accepted, the nature of these experiences on the development of skills in teaching science can vary greatly. This study compares the effect of variations in field experiences at two institutions, one which…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how professional skills training in making ethical decisions for redundancy selection, can be utilised though interactive role play, in a virtual learning environment. Design/methodology/approach: A pilot study was undertaken with a group of part time mature students pursuing a professional…

Over the last decade, online distance education has become a common mode of study in most states in the USA, where it is known as virtual schooling (VS), but many people have misconceptions about it. Pre-service teachers' personal histories as students and their preconceptions, misconceptions, and concerns influence pre-service teacher training…

Recruiting, preparing, and retaining high quality secondary mathematics and science teachers are three of the most critical problems in the nation's urban schools that serve a vast majority of children from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Although the factors contributing to these problems are complex, one area that has caught…

Field instruction is a critical piece of undergraduate geoscience majors' education, and fieldwork remains a major part of the work of professional geologists. Despite the central importance of field education, there exists relatively little educational research exploring how students learn to solve problems in geological fieldwork. This study…

Educating the Millennial generation, a cohort of students accustomed to rapid transmission of ideas in the digital age, has necessitated changes in traditional educational and clinical training techniques. Four innovations in curriculum and instruction are discussed which capitalize on the skills of this generational group. These are: 1)…

Preservice teachers have difficulty incorporating research-based instructional strategies and often revert to those observed during their own school years. This study describes how preservice teachers used a framework of planning, implementation, feedback, and reflection to try research-based teaching practices from their methods courses and…

Significant life experience research suggests that outdoor experiences foster proenvironmental outcomes. Time spent outdoors is more frequently identified as the source of proenvironmental behavior than is education, suggesting that cognition may be less important than affect. Yet, environmental education field programs are often evaluated on…

This study examined California's efforts to foster preservice preparation of early intervention assistants through a certificate program offered by community colleges, the Community College Personnel Preparation Project. Community colleges enrolled in the project must meet a series of requirements, including infusing early intervention assistant…

Field placement within teacher education represents a topic of interest for all preservice teacher programs. Present research addresses a set of important questions regarding field placement: (1) What pedagogical methodologies facilitate deep learning during field experiences? (2) Is there a significant difference in treatment effect for…

This document reports the 2-year Cycle II Teacher Corps program in which San Diego State College and three school districts (San Diego Unified, Santee, and Escondido) cooperated to develop dedicated teachers (with M.A. degrees) prepared to teach in disadvantaged communities. Objectives of the program are listed, including that of meeting needs of…

The introductory section of this report contains a brief narrative description of Oregon State University's Cycle II Teacher Corps program in which 29 intern teachers were prepared to work with disadvantaged children in both rural and urban areas. The 2-year Master's Degree program which is outlined includes two summers of orientation and…

The author discusses his experiences with Earthwatch, an organization involving paying volunteers in scientific field research. (MJB)