The focus of this research was on student teachers who are anomalies, in particular those who appear to begin their practicum in a state of affirmation, able effectively to negotiate many of the roles of "teacher" and appear to have few classroom problems. In this report these student teachers are referred to as "Naturals." This investigation sought to explore variation and examine the sources of difference focusing on both the context and the individual. A Natural student teacher was identified, and, utilizing qualitative methodology, observational and interview data were used to create a case to describe this student teacher's experience and unique characteristics. The case of Wendy as a student teacher demonstrated that her practicum semester was characterized by: an ongoing state of enjoyment, flourishing relationships with her cooperating teacher and students, and a focus on a productive learning environment. Using Csikszentmihalyi's (1975) theory of optimal experience and flow, the unique characteristics of Wendy's student teaching are found to be both individual and contextual in source.

This dissertation examined a mentoring program developed in a unified public school in Arizona. The Arizona State Department of Education has established certification requirements to include a performance-based assessment of pedagogical skills. The enactment of these requirements coincided with a national movement supporting performance-based standards. To date, program requirements have not been established by the Department of Education, and school districts are responsible for verifying each teacher's acquisition of the professional teaching standards. The studied school district established a pilot mentoring program to help induct, support, and retain new teacher employees. The focus of the mentoring experience was to support the professional teaching standards. The purpose of this study was to record, document, and compare the perceptions of 26 new teachers and 35 mentor teachers participating in this program. Responses from participant surveys were analyzed using descriptive analyses, t-tests, and correlations. Additionally, participant interviews and a document analyses provided insight and clarification of the quantitative data. The findings indicated that new teachers perceive an increase in their preparedness to teach over the course of the year. Emotional support was perceived as the most beneficial mentoring activity. A negative correlation was found between the time spent engaged in mentoring and the overall perceived level of support/assistance. A significant difference in the perceived value of the program was found between mentor teachers and new teachers. Descriptive data suggested that mentoring activities were related to the professional teaching standards. Mentoring appears to have supported the induction of new teachers into the district. The recommendations implied from this study are that future research is necessary for a better understanding of mentoring. The findings indicated the variable of time spent mentoring was unstable and specific to the dyad. The study was limited by the small sample size and points to the need of annual data gathering.

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It is estimated that nearly 90% of the teaching force is comprised mostly of female middle-class European Americans; whereas the student population has become increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse. These teachers have been isolated from a significant part of the population they are likely to teach and have developed entrenched, ethnocentric identities with little, if any, knowledge about or experience with culturally or linguistically diverse children (Finney & Orr, 1995; Ladson-Billings, 1991). It is this concern which served as a catalyst for the present research study in pedagogical possibility for culturally diverse students. Since research studies in both inservice and preservice training in cultural diversity and multicultural education have indicated limited success. The present study focused on how four exemplary elementary school teachers developed their pedagogical practices for teaching in culturally diverse settings. Three broad areas were investigated: (a) background, (b) practice, and (c) origin of practice. The findings indicate that teachers who are known for their exemplary practices with culturally diverse populations of students adopt a relaxed, child-focused approach to classroom activities. The teachers believe that their students can be successful, and they have a strong sense of their own efficacy as professionals. With regard to culture, these teachers expressed a clear view of their own cultural identity and celebrated the cultural diversity and richness in their classes. They encouraged their students to expend effort, take risks, and raise questions. They structured their classroom to engender a sense of community and a collaborative approach to learning. They are passionate about knowledge and learning and see knowledge as an emerging, growing entity. Finally, their practices fit within the broad framework of what is generally understood as developmentally appropriate practice. Formal preparation in preservice or inservice programs were not significant factors in developing their classroom understandings or practices. Personal background and classroom contacts appear, from these interviews, to be the primary factors shaping the practices of these exemplary teachers. In addition, the teachers mentioned mentors and significant others in their personal lives who gave them a sense of confidence, love of self, and dedication to education.

Two preservice English teachers' theories of the content regarding English and its teaching were elicited through several interactive interview tasks. Belief exploration tasks (concept mapping, text and topic sorting sentence completions, lesson plans, and writing the personal theory of the content) encouraged the participants to express and share their personal theories about English teaching. Pedagogical interpretation tasks (analyses of their own teaching experiences, reflections on cases of other English teachers, responses to pictures of teachers, and hypothetical situations) encouraged the participants to contemplate and rationalize their own and others' teaching decisions. The completed written tasks, additional lesson plans, and interview transcripts of task discussions were compiled in each participant's personal content belief archive. Both participants' archives were analyzed to compare the content and the manner of their responses to each task. The participants related personal experiences, lesson ideas, comments about students, and beliefs about English and teaching. The participants hesitated or requested clarifications during some tasks but confidently completed others. Besides content and confidence, differences in rate of speech and tone indicated the very personal nature of these beliefs. Each participant also reviewed and analyzed her own archive at various points, supporting, clarifying, and exemplifying the conclusions reached by the researcher. Each participant's archive was further analyzed to identify trends in personal theories. A comparison between participants suggested both held personal theories about the role of the teacher, the specific English content and skills students should be taught, the usefulness of these skills, and the means each used to continue learning about English and its teaching. Ultimately, the participants referenced their theories of the content and their attempts to enact them as they discussed their student teaching. Implications included the increased reflection by the participants after completing the tasks and analyzing their archives, and the depth and variety of information about preservice teachers' practical knowledge gathered through the study tasks. Thus, the study added to what is currently known about preservice teachers' knowledge and their ability to articulate and reflect on their knowledge as they teach and learn.

The purpose of this study was to collect from University of Arizona secondary education graduates information regarding first-year employment and retention, perceived professional preparedness, perceived effectiveness as first-year teachers, types and perceived effectiveness of district induction support, and interest in receiving induction support from the university in the first year of teaching. This information would shed light on the potential role of the university in providing inductive support to graduates. Eighty-three percent of respondents entered teaching, and 93% were still teaching at the time of the study. However, 35% either planned to leave or contemplated leaving the profession in the future. Many experienced challenging first-year assignments. For respondents in their first-year of teaching, the decision to remain in teaching was linked to perceptions of teaching effectiveness and the effectiveness of induction received. Graduates felt "somewhat prepared" to teach upon graduation, except for master's program graduates who felt significantly better prepared. They felt "somewhat effective" as first-year teachers. There was a positive correlation between perceived preparedness and first-year teaching effectiveness. Respondents recommended modifications to preservice programs, including more coursework in classroom management and planning, extended time in schools, and increased relevance of coursework. The quality of district inductive support varied tremendously, with many receiving insufficient support, particularly from rural or charter schools. The most common support included administrative observations and orientations. Far fewer were mentored, provided with professional training or support sessions, observed by staff development specialists, or given release time to observe others. Respondents felt their district induction was "not very effective." There was a positive correlation between perceived first-year teaching effectiveness and effectiveness of induction. Finally, 79% would have been interested in receiving assistance from the university during their first year, requesting training in classroom management, planning, and content-specific methods. They also recommended support sessions for new teachers, observations, and on-line support. It was concluded that the university could play a valuable role in providing inductive support to graduates.

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<p> The training and preparation of prospective teachers includes an important phase where the future teachers begin to make a transition from learner to teacher. During this time, prospective teachers begin to utilize the knowledge they have gained through coursework and life experience to begin teaching students of their own. During this time, assignments and activities that prospective teachers undergo become less about conveying personal knowledge to professors, being learners, and more about being able to effectively convey knowledge to others, being teachers. These initial experiences are valuable in the development of effective teachers. For many future teachers, these initial experiences occur during a phase in the university training called pre-student teaching. Pre-student teaching is a transitional phase between coursework and student teaching. At the school where this study was conducted, pre-student teaching takes place in two differing internship programs. In the more traditional program, pre-student teachers are placed in a K-12 classroom where they mostly observe the classroom teacher, but also participate in some teacher responsibilities, including a few experiences where they teach lessons to students. In the alternative program, pre-student teachers work with a partner pre-student teacher to instruct their own group of 12-year old students during a full-day Saturday extra-curricular program. To better understand the influence of these internship experiences on the prospective teacher's development, pre-student teachers from both programs were studied. The conceptual framework of Engagement, Capacity and Continuity, developed by Campbell, Jolly &amp; Perlman (2004), anchored this study. Interviews, observations, and written artifacts were utilized during this study to illuminate the pre-student teachers' transitional process.</p>