As an outgrowth of concern with whether or not the present content of teacher education affects the behavior of teachers in the classroom, a study was designed to compare the behavior of 52 secondary education students in a conventional program with that of 62 students in an experimental program. The experimental program coordinated laboratory experiences of observation and participation with selected readings and seminars in the foundation areas of psychology, philosophy, sociology, and anthropology. Data derived from the Classroom Observation Record, a system of interaction analysis, the National Teachers EXAMINATION (NTE), and student teaching grades was analyzed using t-test and analysis of variance. Results showed significant differences in the teaching behavior of the two groups: the experimental group received more desirable behavioral ratings, but the control group made significantly higher scores on the Professional Education Section of the NTE. The implications are that programs stressing possession of factual information about professional content are less likely to produce desirable teacher behavior than are those stressing laboratory experiences which are made relevant to content and theory. Included are a 15-item bibliography; 34 statistical tables; and a 40-page description of the experimental program, most of it drawn from the diary of an observer-participant. (JS)