This article explores the authors', two teacher educators' and a pre-service teacher's, understanding of the ethical dilemmas, obligations, and plotlines that emerged in the experiences of a pre-service teacher as she began to develop her identity as a teacher. The inquiry, based in narrative inquiry, used the analysis of narratives from a…

This study examines the perceptions of elementary education majors (EEMs) and secondary education majors (SEMs) toward the inclusion of students with disabilities (SWDs) prior to and after taking a course on integrating exceptional students. The study is guided by Pajares' (1992) framework on beliefs. Successful teaching and learning in the…

This study closely examined the stated and implicit philosophical stances of student teacher supervisors from their own perspectives as well as from the perspectives of the student teachers with whom they worked. Written and audio documentation of the interactions and conversations between each of the participating student teachers and his or her…

Teacher education programs that focus on preparing urban elementary school educators face a daunting task. In a relatively short time, roughly four semesters of coursework, students are prepared to be transformed into teachers who are certified to meet the challenges of urban schools. This transformation occurs from the outside in as they learn…

The number of teacher education programs combining general and special education teacher certification is growing. In spite of this increase, little has been known about how these programs impact preservice teachers' (PSTs) developing professional identities. This article uses a case study of one newly implemented combined credential program at a…

A key factor in learning to teach during student teaching is the cooperating teacher, who supports and mentors prospective teachers. In the apprenticeship that is student teaching, the cooperating teacher serves as a gatekeeper to the experiential learning of pre-service teachers. Although several studies indicate the significant influence…

Little research has been conducted to directly compare the effectiveness of different models of field-based learning experiences and little has been reported on the use of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards in establishing a formative assessment for teacher candidates (TCs). The current study used the…

Learning how to teach depends on the dynamic inter-relationships among many parts and people; however, research on learning how to teach has typically focused on confined aspects of teacher education (e.g., a specific methods course) over short periods of time (such as one semester). In response, Wideen, Mayer-Smith, and Moon (1998), in their…

Researchers have found that despite reformers' best efforts, teachers' mathematics classroom practice remains largely unchanged--in part because teachers hold fast to their own mathematics understandings, attitudes, and experiences. In particular, in the last decade, elementary mathematics teachers have found themselves balancing a number of…

One of the goals of Professional Development School (PDS) programs is to provide preservice teachers with opportunities for developing in-depth knowledge and experience as they learn to teach (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2001). A theme-based PDS adds value to the PDS program model because it allows faculty members to…

This study investigates the value of early field experience students' observations of both peers and cooperating teachers in elementary classrooms where they had daily instructional duties. The participants in this study were 34 elementary education students enrolled in their last semester of coursework before the final student teaching…

Student teaching may require student teachers to address the demands of two masters that often have very different expectations and philosophies. They are caught in a bind of being expected to implement methods advocated in university coursework while also being expected to fit into the classroom to which they are assigned. This bind is further…

Describes a collaborative art-based autobiography project executed by a teacher educator/artist and preservice elementary teachers. The project crossed boundaries between research and practice, combining arts-based teaching, qualitative research, and presentation of multiple perspectives in an installation as a way of displaying data. The article…

Investigated how teacher research group members pursued inquiry in their classrooms and how inquiry affected their teaching. Using the self-extending system of strategies for analysis, connections are drawn between the work children do in learning to read better and the work teacher researchers do in learning to teach better. The paper highlights…

Tells one kindergarten teacher's story about the complexities of her teaching life, recounting her experiences as she struggled to implement structured conversations among her students. The teacher questioned the value of this activity even as she recognized the importance of dialogue for learning. Compounding her reflection was her own sense of…