This narrative case study describes the use of improvement science methods to strengthen the effectiveness of field experiences for teacher candidates. As part of a networked improvement community, we sought to reduce variation in the quality of field experience by providing a cohesive network of high-quality coaching supports. Using design-based…

The purpose of the study is to analyze the role preservice teachers' mental health plays in their development during teacher preparation programs and the role of teacher preparation programs in preservice teachers' mental health journeys. Using an ethic of care theoretical approach, a within-method triangulation design was utilized with…

As policy makers' neoliberal reforms continue to impact teaching and teacher education, stakeholders across both fields of teaching continue to seek out alternative practices that assist educators in fostering democratic learning experiences for children in schools. However, many continue to struggle with the impact of these reforms on their…

Although literature emphasizes the value of recursive reflection on problems of practice to facilitate teacher learning and change, few studies investigate teachers' iterative, evolving reflections on problems that emerge in their efforts to change their practice over time. This case study provides an in-depth, longitudinal analysis of one…

Teacher action research has been shown to both promote professional growth in teachers as well as produce gains for students. However, to date, little research has examined how action research might contribute to systemic changes in schools and school districts. This qualitative study of six teachers from various districts, subject areas, and…

Long-standing calls have been initiated to attend to equity in student achievement in and through science. Science teacher educators can aid these efforts by identifying effective science teaching strategies and supporting K-12 science teachers in integrating those into their practice. Scholars argue for an equity-driven lens to be central in…

I slowly developed the belief that sharing much of educational research with novice teachers was an error. To me, novice teachers appeared to have too little experience to adopt and adapt research to particular school sites and classrooms. I urge, therefore, that more of an apprenticeship in classroom life, and greater understanding of the…

This article represents an ideological and methodological call to action that is over fifty years in the making. It seeks to articulate a new form of critical consciousness by combining the principles of a Freirean liberatory pedagogy with the methodological and ideological specificity of Ball's Model of Generative Change. We call this evolved…

Recent policy and scholarly reports, accreditation agencies' guidelines, and professional association efforts have called for teacher preparation programs to incorporate more frequent and rigorous clinical experiences. Directing three elementary and secondary education programs in two states, we recognized that one reason they--and perhaps other…

As schools and teachers utilize data-driven decision-making processes to identify and remediate struggling students, systemic conditions that contribute to students' learning opportunities are often ignored. This longitudinal mixed-methods study examines the use of an equity audit as a critical data-driven decision-making tool in a graduate course…

This article describes how a secondary teacher education program at a midsized university made the turn toward a practice-based program in teacher education. The authors argue that efforts to recenter the program around practices have not only improved opportunities for novice teachers, but also have provided teacher educators a programmatic…

As the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) educated in general education classrooms has increased, many teacher education programs have implemented reforms intended to prepare teacher candidates to work with ELLs. This multiple-case study uses a sociocultural perspective on learning to examine whether and how four undergraduate teacher…

This study addresses the urgent need for change in clinical experiences that better prepare teacher candidates to negotiate the changing landscape of educational and accreditation policies and practices affecting P-12 classrooms. Specifically, the article examines the impact of a comprehensive 4-year initiative to transform traditional student…

There is a heightened focus within teacher education to centralize clinical experiences and develop strong partnerships between schools and universities. University field supervisors fulfill a critical role within clinical experiences because they are uniquely situated in spaces where they can help preservice teachers and school-based partners…

Drawing on situated learning and communities of practice, this teacher-research study examined multiple stakeholders' perspectives about the purpose, design, and inaugural implementation of the edTPA, a teacher performance assessment mandated for state certification. Participants included teacher candidates, mentor teachers, a field placement…