Reviews of professional literature identify characteristics of effective staff development programs and inservice activities. Purposes for staff development include: pedagogical growth and understanding and discovery of self as well as cognitive, theoretical, professional, and career development. (DF)

Selected research dissemination practices in California were examined to discover how teacher educators use research findings to educate classroom teachers. Experiences with both inservice and preservice teacher educators are discussed. (DF)

Four paradigms have dominated the debate on teacher education in recent years: (1) the "behavioristic" orientation; (2) the "personalistic" mode; (3) the "traditional-craft" approach; and (4) the "inquiry" orientation. A heuristic device for organizing discussion about desirable teacher education practices is presented, which permits consideration…

This paper describes how a theory of intrinsic motivation can be adopted as an overall theoretical framework to guide a teacher education program. Teacher training institutions can apply concepts of personal causation theory within their faculties, with education majors, and for the future pupils of their graduates. (PP)

Literature on student teaching, cooperating teachers, and college supervisors is reviewed. Changes in the role of the college supervisor are proposed, which would make supervisors less directly involved in overseeing student teachers and more engaged in interpreting research and providing inservice training for cooperating teachers. (PP)

The teacher education program at Doane College (Nebraska) was substantially overhauled to provide additional support for beginning teachers. Program changes include raising admission and graduate requirements, offering graduate courses and supervision for new teachers, and cooperative activities with the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. (PP)

One reason why teacher education programs are slow to change involves misconceptions about what change entails. Four myths about change are discussed, and strategies for overcoming problems, based on one school of education's experiences with introducing changes to better prepare teachers for mainstreaming, are presented. (PP)

Faced with declining enrollments, teacher education institutions must seek new approaches that either maintain present programs or encourage new programs in nontraditional areas. Results of a study of retrenchment strategies presently in use are reported. Implications for the quality of teacher education programs are also discussed. (PP)

As resources for education dwindle, deans of education must provide leadership through: (1) long-range planning; (2) establishing priorities; (3) efficient decision making; and (4) improving the image of teacher education. Ways to improve collection of data on students and their needs and to establish program assessment criteria are discussed. (PP)

A case study of the type of educational experience provided in a seminar for student teachers is discussed. Inspired by a humanistic philosophy, the seminar did, at times, play a liberalizing and creative role. Most discussions, however, focused on utilitarian problems encountered in the students' teaching. (PP)

Most instructors of adults continue to use pedagogical models devised for teaching children, adolescents, or college students. Instructors must be prepared to meet the special demands and needs of adult learners. Five recommendations for stimulating research in this area of teacher education are given. (PP)

A study was conducted to determine differences and similarities between degree programs for the Doctor of Education and the Doctor of Philosophy in Education, regarding: (1) admission criteria; (2) residency requirements; (3) program content; and (4) employment of graduates. Past and present trends concerning these degrees were also investigated.…

Documents selected from the ERIC databases, concerning basic characteristics and concerns of teaching as a profession, are listed. Research reports deal with attributes of the profession and how teacher education relates to them and with how the roles of educators might be changed to build and sustain the profession. (PP)

Teaching effectiveness knowledge, teaching context knowledge, and change and improvement knowledge are knowledge bases that bear directly on improving the context of teacher education programs. Several sources of context and teacher effectiveness are discussed. (DF)

This article explores the National Institute of Education's project on the use of research information to improve teacher education programs. The processes used to assist in producing change in 10 teacher education programs are discussed. (DF)