The current study sought to explore the experiences of pre-service student teachers in a teaching unit in VR within a special course framework which was intended to enhance student-teacher's 21st century skills and growth processes. In particular, how their experiences working with VR affected their self-efficacy. The research population comprised of 176 students studying in their second of a four years training course to become teachers in the K-12 educational system. The main research question was: Do teaching approaches employing VR effect student teachers’ self-efficacy, interests, and creativity? If so, what are these effects? How does collaboration in VR classroom foster learners’ social integration? The main findings of this study showed that using VR learning environments with student teachers helped them increase their self-efficacy and allowed them to be more innovative and creative. VR challenges learners with active teaching and learning, making student teachers active participants who create and innovate.

We investigated the effect of an innovative technology-supported learning environment on pre-service student teachers’ motivation and 21st century skills. Students and instructors filled-in the Active Learning Post Occupancy Evaluation (AL-POE) questionnaire. Analysis included tests for individual items and a comparison of the overall mean, composite differences between pre- and post- occupation of the new classes. Over 80% reported high increase in creativity, motivation, ability to get higher grades and engagement in class while studying in the new learning environment. They gave significantly higher evaluations for practices and solutions in the new vs. traditional classrooms and perceived working there adequately and better, on many of the 21st century skills. Therefore, learning environment plays an important role in preparing pre-service teachers.

The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study is to shed light on the driving forces of the mentor’s positions in teacher training processes in Israel. The research is based on an exploratory cross-sectional study which included 170 preservice teacher mentors in the north of Israel. The mentoring position, despite its importance, is often unappreciated, even by the mentors themselves. It is barely rewarded, in money, status, or prestige. The current study focuses on the internal motivation of mentors for choosing to serve in this role in addition to their main role as classroom teachers. In this regard, the theory of cognitive-effective perspective can help us to understand the reasons behind these motivations. Our findings indicate that mentors exhibit internal motivation from the pro-social and cognitive-effective perspectives. The average score for attitudes was M = 2.92 (SD ± 0.42). The total score was higher for the cognitive components than for the effective ones (M = 2.98, SD ± 0.44, and M = 2.85, SD ± 0.52, respectively). The main motivations of the mentors were based on their strong desire to improve the level of teaching in Israel. Contributing to the future of education was a dominant part of their personal educational philosophy. These insights depict the mentor as a pillar of the teacher training community in Israel. Our findings also indicate that, while a supportive school climate and autonomy in the mentor’s role are factors that promote mentoring practices, a lack of theoretical knowledge about teacher training and a lack of clarity about the mentors’ responsibilities are factors that hinder such practices. It is important to address these factors in order to enhance the desirable variables while decreasing the undesirable ones, in order to translate educational philosophy into stable and sustainable improved teacher training processes.

This study focuses on implementing co-teaching models in the practical experience of teacher training processes. It examines the experience models in terms of theory versus practice from the perspectives of students of education and training teachers (school and pre-school) who participated in the special “Academy-Class” program in the 2017 academic year at Ohalo College. 125 subjects participated in the study. The overriding goal of the research was to identify the dominant patterns in this unique practical experience in teachers training. The research questions sought to clarify the extent to which the six main co-teaching models described in the research literature are manifested in practical and educational terms in the Academy-Class program; offer a comparison between common teaching practices and the co-teaching models; and assess how common Synergetic Collaboration is as a co-teaching method relative to other low-level methods.Our findings show that the co-teaching models were more dominant than the traditional teaching models among all the sample groups. The greatest difference was found in the reports of the training teachers (0.79) at the school, while the smallest difference was found among students training to become teachers (0.13). We have seen that experiencing a clinical model of co-teaching involves shared work between a training teacher and of a student of education. There is a need to change training processes, as well as expanding the theoretical approaches that describe the wide range of shared co-teaching.

This article constitutes the continuation of a research process that investigated models and methods for co-teaching in the “Academia Class” program in the Ohalo Academic College (Nissim & Naifeld, 2018). The article focuses on the contribution of this program to all those who participated in it, identifying co-teaching practices and the connections between the sense of contribution and identification of those practices. The research relied on the collection and analysis of quantitative data. The research population included 125 respondents, 51 (40.8%) schoolteachers, 36 (28.8%) student-teachers studying general education, 18 (14.4%) kindergarten teachers and 20 (16.0%) student-teachers studying early childhood education. Three main research questions guided the investigation: 1) To what extent does each group of participants in the program estimate that co-teaching methods are advantageous for the teachers/kindergarten teachers, student teachers and pupils? 2) Which prevalent co-teaching practices are used in the Academia Class program? 3) Is there a correlation between the respondents’ attitudes concerning the advantages of co-teaching and the practices prevalent in the Academia Class program? The responses to these questions indicate the extent of success or lack of success of co-Teaching. The main finding indicates that the trainer teachers and the student teachers agreed that there were many advantages to co-teaching and that it contributed to school pupils and the kindergarten children. Thus, it seems that the Academia Class program has an influence beyond mere training processes, on the learning processes in the classes and school pupils. With regard to the advantages of the co-teaching for the school teachers and kindergarten teachers.

The present quantitative, non-experimental comparative study, delves into the long-term effects of the collaborative practicum model (specifically the “academy-class” model) on novice teachers. The research aims to discern disparities in the professional self-efficacy of novice educators who underwent training within the collaborative practicum model as opposed to those who adhered to the conventional teaching model. This comparative analysis is based on three variables: perception of the teaching profession, professional self-efficacy, and socio-economic security. Furthermore, the study examines whether the collaborative model contributes to cultivating more favorable attitudes toward the teaching profession and a greater inclination to continue teaching for an extended period exceeding three years. The study encompasses a cohort of 436 Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) graduates from 22 Israeli Higher Education Institutions who completed their degrees within the past five years. The research findings underscore a higher level of teaching efficacy, socio-economic security, and a more positive outlook among those who participated in the collaborative practicum and expressed their intent to persist in the teaching profession. These outcomes underscore the vital role of the collaborative practicum model, hinting at its potential to positively influence the retention rate within the teaching profession. Furthermore, it underscores the crucial connection between comprehensive and meaningful training within a collaborative practicum framework and the sustainable professional growth of educators. This robust training approach can potentially secure the continued presence of dedicated and enthusiastic educators in the field over the long term.