Examined tensions arising from the use of portfolios for inquiry into personal practice during preservice teacher professional development and as a means of evaluation in their licensure. Student and faculty interviews, portfolio meetings, and program review documents indicated that efforts to combine the dual purposes of portfolios did not always…

Examines personal literacy portfolios as a tool to extend teacher literacy and breathe life into the curriculum, offering examples of teachers' knowledge as it forms in their portfolios. Over three years, the reflective summaries that 250 preservice and inservice teachers wrote about their portfolios were examined, providing insight into five…

Two groups of student teachers, one school-based and one university-based, were introduced to portfolio construction. School-based students received more guidance in and time for portfolio construction. Surveys and interviews indicated that the extra time and guidance helped school-based students, who benefited more from portfolios than…

Examines how reflection has been discussed in teacher education, presenting data from a longitudinal study of 10 teacher apprentices that investigated the experience of becoming reflective through a portfolio process and identifying developmental elements of reflection. The study notes that student teachers consistently report little formal…

Suggests that conversations about portfolio entries offer the best opportunity to grow, learn, and enhance teaching expertise as teachers develop from beginners to experts. Portfolios have emerged as an alternative form of assessment well-suited for formative and summative assessment of self and others and for elevating the dialog about teaching…

Discusses internship programs in teacher education, highlighting how the University of California San Diego's secondary internship credential program contributes to development and retention of secondary teachers. The internship provides an intense relationship among novices, skilled professionals, and research faculty. Evaluation of the program…

Examines California's Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program, which facilitates cooperative work between a university, county education offices, and school districts. Teacher portfolios assessed program components. Program participants completed surveys examining support strategies for effectiveness. All participants (new teachers,…

Describes new practices in preservice mathematics education at Russia State Pedagogical University. The program offers mathematics teachers a deeper understanding of the mathematics of school curricula and how it fits within the mathematics discipline. It teaches them alternative instructional strategies beyond mere lecture so they can meet…

Examines pressures that educational restructuring efforts place on traditional structures and on expectations of universities and schools, noting temporal aspects of John Goodlad s concept of organizational arrangements. Applies concepts to restructuring teacher education at the University of Wyoming. Views temporal organizational disruptions as…

Presents an introduction by the journal editor to a special issue that features the work of faculty and students at Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, who were involved in restructuring their teacher-preparation program. At the heart of the restructuring was the specific goal of emphasizing early fieldwork experiences. (SM)

Introduces a series of seven articles that provide different perspectives on the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a field-based teacher-education program at Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Explains features of the restructured teacher-education program, the aim and character of evaluating the program, and learning from…

Describes the restructured, extended year Bachelor of Education/Diploma in Education Consecutive program within the Faculty of Education at Queen's University of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, which emphasizes field-based experiences. After examining research supporting experience-based learning, the paper describes program planning and development…

Describes focus-group discussions involving teachers and principals participating in the restructuring of the Queen's University of Kingston teacher-education program, examining the new program's emphasis on experiential learning, discussing how the focus groups sought the views of school partners on four aspects of the program, and noting three…

Documents data from case studies prepared by five teacher candidates regarding their experiences as they worked to create inclusive classrooms while participating in a field-based course within their preservice-education program at Queen's University of Kingston. Shows how the field-based course and the practicums influenced candidates' beliefs…

Presents the experiences of one student teacher who was part of the restructured preservice program at Queen's University of Kingston. He participated in an early field experience, where he was assigned to a school rather than a teacher and was able to witness how an entire school prepared for the beginning of a new school year. (SM)