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Recent reform of initial teacher education has changed the balance of school-based training of students and has increased teachers' responsibility for training them in schools. This article reports on a preliminary study of primary undergraduate student teachers' perceptions of their experience in schools on their second year and final teaching practices. Through questionnaires and structured interviews we sought students' views of the effectiveness of university-based courses in preparing them to teach the arts and their perceptions of the support given to them by teachers in trainingthem to teach art, dance, drama and music in schools. The findings raised concerns about the quality of experience currently being offered to students by teachers. Indications were that the number of students able to learn from the teachers about the four subjects was significantly low. The students' comments suggested that existing teacher expertise in these subjects was lacking and this raises issues regarding school-based initial teacher education as well as in-service training for teachers.

This research documents and analyzes the nature and content of the knowledge that enables professors to foster learning for Black students. Specifically, it suggests that knowledge of the discourses of a students’ community of origin, discourses often based on collective experience, are a valuable resource to professors in their efforts to promote educational equity. Data were drawn from interviews, observations, focus groups, and follow-up interviews with professors who have shown a particular interest in serving Black students for this study. The resulting conception of teacher knowledge has specific implications for teacher education practice and policy concerning targeted hiring practices, professional development for all teachers, and higher education policy makers in general.