Abstract
This paper describes and analyzes five conceptual orientations that have dominated the thinking of teacher educators in this century: (1) academic; (2) personal; (3) technological; (4) practical; and (5) critical/social. Loosely connected to views of teaching, learning, and/or learning to teach, these conceptual orientations represent sets of ideas about the ends and means of teacher education. The academic orientation focuses attention on the distinctive work of teachers. The personal orientation gives primary attention to the teacher as a person and learner. Technological and practical orientations reflect different ideas about the character of teaching and the sources of knowledge about teaching. The critical orientation focuses on the contexts of schooling, highlighting the teacher's obligations to pupils and society. To illustrate how these ideas have influenced teacher education practice, examples of specific programs or program components accompany the discussion of each orientation. The paper concludes with a discussion of the values and limits of the conceptual orientations framework as a guide to program development. (JD)