This study examined elementary teacher beliefs and reported practices in meeting the needs of diverse learners in one school district served by university partnerships. Elementary classroom teachers surveyed (139) reported (a) how their practice is shaped by student needs, (b) use of instructional strategies with diverse students, (c) feelings…

The study is practical in nature and addresses the call for investigating effective aspects of field experiences in teacher preparation. The authors designed a framework of assignments requiring the pre-service teachers to collect data about two diverse elementary students in their assigned elementary classroom during the twelve weeks of their…

This study examined preservice teachers' cultural consciousness and self-efficacy while tutoring diverse students during an initial urban field experience. The 46 participants, enrolled in an introduction to diversity course, completed an 18-hour tutoring requirement in elementary and secondary schools. Paired-sample t-tests yielded statistically…

This article describes how a teacher preparation program can positively impact professional dispositions. Pre and post essays from a sample of sixty candidates were qualitatively analyzed to determine the value-added growth of their professional dispositions.

This study examines early childhood preservice teachers' beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and how they define DAP and interpret principles and characteristics of DAP. The study shows that early childhood preservice teachers possess relatively strong beliefs about DAP. Preservice teachers who were further along in the…

In this study student teachers in an elementary education program took part in a book study, "From Rage to Hope", on culturally responsive teaching. Interns critically reflected on their practice and began making changes based on practical strategies from the book. Four themes of learning and change emerged in intern written reflections: Project…