Scientific and technological literacy (STL) is becoming one of the central planks for development through education on a global scale. Within this global thrust, design and technology in particular are gaining strength as curriculum components either as an individual subject or as contributors to a more broad and inclusive approach to learning.…

This study investigated preservice teachers' intentions to integrate democratic practice into their teaching and the influence of attitudes and beliefs on intentions. Participants were 76 undergraduates from 3 social studies methods classes. A theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) guided instrument development. Intention was…

The authors present a program of research on the teaching practices of 1st-year teachers that has evolved within a partnership between and among a university and area school districts. The research links observed 1st-year teaching practices with school level (elementary, middle, high school) and type of teacher preparation (traditional bachelor's…

Close to 1,100 people attended the 55th Annual Meeting of the National Reading Conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami, Florida from November 30-December 3, 2005. A record number of proposals were submitted this year (548), with 392 papers, symposia, and round tables accepted. This year's conference theme was inclusiveness and synthesis…

The study examines Turkish pre-service elementary science teachers' scientific literacy levels. The research took place in Marmara University, in 2001-2002 academic year. The research participants were twenty randomly chosen students among all senior classes of the university mentioned above. The research data were gathered with the documents,…

This paper reports on the design of an on-line simulation that enhanced preservice teacher practicum experience in the important area of literacy teaching. Research with more than 200 users of the simulation showed that it developed pre-service teacher understanding of complex classroom situations associated with the teaching of literacy by giving…

In 1993, at Wright State University (WSU), the College of Science and Mathematics (COSM), and the College of Education and Human Services (CEHS) began hiring faculty with joint appointments in both COSM and CEHS. That began the process of reforming the undergraduate education of preservice elementary teachers. Then, when the state called for a…

This report examines the types of professional development necessary to implement successful online learning initiatives. The potential for schools utilizing online learning is tremendous: schools can develop new distribution methods to enable equity and access for all students, they can provide high quality content for all students and they can…

The persistent reading struggles and failure of nearly 40 percent of all American children, little improved over time, has led to aggressive government-funded efforts in school districts to train veteran teachers in the science of reading. The accumulated scientific findings of nearly 60 years of research gained the nation's attention with the…

One of the goals of Professional Development School (PDS) programs is to provide preservice teachers with opportunities for developing in-depth knowledge and experience as they learn to teach (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2001). A theme-based PDS adds value to the PDS program model because it allows faculty members to…

This article discusses three strategies designed to support a college of education mission to prepare democratic practitioners. These strategies are: increasing civic knowledge (Butts, 1993), reflecting on civic values (Ross & Yeager, 1999), and organizing field experiences that promote democratic practice (Rainer & Guyton, 1999). Activities for…

Most teacher educators would agree that one of the primary goals of a teacher preparation program is to teach individuals how to become good teachers. What is open to debate is exactly what characteristics define good teachers. Although there is a vast literature on good teaching, few studies have compared the beliefs of individuals at various…

Studies examining the important predictors of academic achievement of elementary teacher education students help us to understand the predictors of student achievement. These studies (House, 2000b; Ting & Bryant, 2001; Zheng, Saunders, Shelley, & Whalen, 2002)focus on the relationship between academic achievement and a number of cognitive…

Preservice and novice mathematics teachers are often guided to look toward the Internet as a toolbox of good lesson plan templates--plans tailored to prepare students for the high-stakes accountability standardized test-driven curriculum that is sweeping schooling in the United States. This fast paced, win/lose curriculum testing game leaves…

Recently developed Professional Development School standards underscore the importance of professional learning community, inquiry, shared decision-making and a focus on student learning. These standards closely mirror the goals of "Critical Friends Groups," a significant movement in education to improve student achievement through…