The purpose of this paper is to provide a best-evidence synthesis of studies on preservice teachers' conceptions of teaching and learning and to describe their implications for teacher education. The studies that focus on preservice teachers' conceptions were grouped according to five themes. They include: (1) general orientations to teaching and education; (2) perspectives concerning diversity and multicultural education; (3) elementary and secondary contrasts; (4) gender constrasts; and (5) traditional and nontraditional contrasts. Although some patterns emerge within each theme, teacher educators must exercise caution in generalizing these findings to all teacher candidates. Within some of the presented studies, preservice teachers' conceptions of teaching and learning vary considerably. (Contains 37 references.) (AA)