I-STEP: A Program Which Integrates Interaction and Design

The Individualized Secondary Teacher Education Program (I-STEP) is a preservice education program with little formal course work. Students schedule lectures or discussions by request, and behavioral objectives have been written to embrace all of the teaching concepts and skills required for initial certification. These objectives have been subsumed under the categories of "design" and "interaction." Design skills include writing and using behavioral objectives, task analysis, and designing instructional units; interaction skills include individual counseling, interaction analysis, and effective use of questions. The primary vehicle for practicing these skills is the student team teaching experience. Evaluation of the program has been accomplished by soliciting reactions from I-STEP participants and cooperating teachers and also from preservice and public school students who were taught by I-STEP student teacher teams. Response to the program was mostly favorable, and evaluation of the student teachers indicates that team teaching is as good as or better than solo teaching in terms of experience for the student teachers and effectiveness for the students. (RT)