I had an instructor who reached out and actually switched the engine off in a 152 at 3000 feet; albeit over a low flying area, and with plenty of warning.
From an instructor point of view, I firmly believe in giving realistic training. A student of mine will find a flight that ends without multiple engine failures, no matter what the training environment, to be a shock. A student should never be permitted to have his or her first forced landing off field occur by themself. It should have occured with an instructor on board in the training environment such that the "emergency" has become a familiar event.
And a windmilling VP one creates a lot less drag if you pull the pitch full-coarse.
That depends very much on the engine and propeller system in use. It's certainly not the case for all engine/propeller combinations. Know the system you're using, but don't apply what you know about one system to another. Know your airplane.