Research suggests that substantial pre-service student teaching is essential for the preparation and retention of special educators. Using logistic regression analysis, survey responses of beginning special educators were analyzed to answer the following questions: Are beginning special educators more likely to leave the field if they have had…

Converging evidence has identified phonemic awareness (PA) as one of five essential components of beginning reading instruction. Evidence suggests that many teachers do not have the recommended knowledge or skills sufficient to provide effective PA instruction within the context of scientifically validated reading education. This study examines…

Interactive, multimedia cases with technology supports present new ways of teaching and learning in teacher education. In this mixed-methods, naturalistic study, the authors investigate how and what participants learn from multimedia cases and, in particular, how instructional implementation affects learning outcomes from multimedia cases.…

In this study, the authors examine the influence of teacher and student communication patterns, instructional practices, and teacher pedagogical content knowledge on students' mathematics learning in both general and special education mathematics classrooms. Five pre-service special education teachers in field placements and 43 students with…

In this article, the authors describe a systematic effort by a department of special education to integrate technology into teaching through a one-to-one laptop initiative and to examine preservice teachers' perceptions concerning their experiences with the initiative. The authors investigate beliefs about preservice teachers' proficiency in using…

In 2006, the authors' college joined the ranks of those offering programs for young adults with intellectual disabilities on campus. The program includes several inclusive courses in which typical students study together with their peers with intellectual disabilities. This article describes how 12 pre-service teachers who participated in an…

Concept maps are commonly used in a variety of educational settings as a learning aid or instructional tool. Additionally, their potential as a research tool has been recognized. This article defines features of concept maps, describes the use of pre- and postconcept maps as a research tool, and offers a protocol for employing concept maps as an…

The degree to which special educators serve in a meaningful collaborative capacity in inclusive classrooms has come under scrutiny, and hence, the quality of collaboration training afforded requires examination.This article describes the results of a survey conducted with 53 undergraduate pre-service special education training programs…

With the proliferation of alternative route (AR) special education teacher preparation programs, many teacher educators are likely to be involved in AR program design and implementation. Unfortunately, few resources have focused on best practices for program developers to prepare the nontraditional participants who typically populate their…

In this study, the authors determine the efficacy of videoconferencing to supervise pre-service special education teachers. Efficacy is determined by (a) assessing interobserver reliability between on-site and off-site observers and (b) evaluating the feasibility and practicality of the videoconferencing technology. Data are collected in two…

When teachers move to the next grade with their students, they are sometimes referred to as teachers who loop with the children. In this descriptive case study, the authors describe the experiences of two teachers who collaborate with others as they move with a class of students from third to fourth grade (i.e., looping). The classroom context,…

The authors examine a project that focuses on preparing special educators to mentor pre-service teachers throughout their preparation program, instead of mostly at the end of their program. Through use of classroom literacy artifacts, mentors are prepared in how to guide novices as they transition through coursework and into classroom practice.…

In this article, the authors examine the literature on distance education and offer a brief chronology of its past-to-present development, with special attention to the evolution of technology-mediated instruction. They document some of the major trends related to both theoretical and practical aspects of distance education. In particular, they…

This study examined the perceptions of 88 graduate students on the use of Web-based instruction in preparing special education personnel. Following the collection of data using surveys, 6 participants were randomly selected from the original sample and interviewed. Findings supported Web-based instruction as a convenient way for students to pursue…

As collaborative instruction for students with disabilities becomes a prominent practice, teacher educators must examine prospective educators' views on these practices. Researchers analyzed reflective journal entries of 41 masters-level teacher certification students in a class on collaboration. Several themes emerged through content analysis…