In 2007 the University of Northern British Columbia initiated a two-year elementary teacher education program at the Northwest Campus in Terrace, British Columbia. The program was designed to meet specific community needs in the North that arise from inequities in the cultural safety of Indigenous teachers and students. The authors share three…

This paper analyses the uncertain foundations of the use of action research in a graduate teaching degree. This analysis is conducted by the course coordinator in partnership with a recent graduate. The uncertainty is traced to the pedagogical incoherence of the course that is caused by philosophical infidelity. The philosophy and practice of the…

Teacher education in universities is under pressure. In many new education policies there is a renewed focus on teacher quality, and therefore quality initial teacher education. In some countries this renewed focus has led to a resurgence of "alternative approaches" to teacher education such as Teach for America / Australia. One of the most…

The role of teachers today in special education requires extensive background knowledge about various types of learners, their specific needs and the particularities of the stakeholders with whom the teacher is called to collaborate. The knowledge constructed by future teachers is acquired not only in the formal context of initial training, but…

The education of teachers in Canada typically consists of a sequence of non-integrated and partially alternating phases: pre-service university-based course work, pre-service school-based practica, job-imbedded induction, professional development sessions. This article proposes an integrative approach to the education of teachers that links these…

We examined the effectiveness of a professional development school model of teacher education in Canada. Teacher education candidates responded positively to program features related to sustained participation and collaboration in school communities throughout the year. Their efficacy beliefs about developing professional knowledge were most…

Preservice teacher-candidates enrolled in teacher education programs across Canada are exposed to the nuances of school organization during their practice-teaching assignments. Although the literature is full of scholarship about the concerns of new teachers, less attention has been given to school organizational factors as sources of dissonance…

The authors synthesize preliminary findings from an interdisciplinary study of the practicum/clinical phase of undergraduate pre-service education in the professions. Early data analysis identified similarities and differences across disciplines in terms of: (a) the terminology describing each practicum program, (b) the programs' key…

This study focuses on the way in which graduating student teachers represent themselves both as individuals and as future professional teachers, and compares these representations by identity status as defined by Marcia (Marcia et al., 1993). Seventy-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with students during their last year of a university…

Investigates the development of teacher-intern's oral questioning skills during their 16 week practicum. Finds that although the interns' initial skill-level of oral questioning was relatively high, they developed their expertise in six basic oral questioning skills throughout the practicum. Describes the benefits of using a supervisory approach…

Examines one aspect of the cognitive development of preservice education students, the ability to utilize different modes of mental representation. Finds associations between the level of mathematics experience and both the ability to utilize three different modes of mental representation (enactive, visual, and verbal) and the overall use of…

Explores feelings and referents contained in cultural-identity definitions of student teachers at the University of Montreal. Reveals that developing a sense of belonging to a cultural identity requires that individuals experience opportunities to identify with the cultural group. Notes importance of this research for teacher education in…

Describes a cross-cultural teacher-education project in Saskatchewan, Canada, in which a teacher team mentors a group of upper-level education students working in multicultural classrooms. Observes that the evolving participant structures of the research move beyond those in the initially proposed mentorship model. (DSK)

Observes that because teaching is not a full-fledged profession like other societal occupations, student teachers are oriented into a vocation still attempting to create a place in society. Asserts that until teacher educators adopt a public and accountable ethical regime for teacher candidates, the vocation will continue to be a quasi-profession.…

Presents the results of a study-on-the-job situation for francophone graduates in teacher education at the University of Ottawa (Canada). Indicates that 29% are teaching full-time, 8% part-time, and 35% substitute. Analyzes results, looking at supply and demand for teachers over the next decade. (DSK)