Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore middle and secondary mathematics preservice teachers' (PST) perceptions of the benefits, challenges and impacts of implementing lesson study. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents a single case study in the university context. Embedded units of analysis included a group of middle and a…

For students to fully understand the long-lasting consequences of responsible or irresponsible digital citizenship in the world of online personal and classroom learning, teachers and students need to formally engage with formal lessons on digital citizenship skills as we societally become more dependent on technology daily. Teacher attitudes on…

Pre-service teachers (PSTs) often lack the self-efficacy necessary to effectively implement STEM education into their classrooms. Undergraduate research experiences (URE) can help fill this void by providing opportunities for PSTs to engage with STEM content and K-12 students in a field-based research context. This case study details the impact a…

This article describes the trials and tribulations that a middle level education program faced during the global pandemic and recommendations that others can take away from these experiences. The provided suggestions for middle level teacher education programs are specifically for the current pandemic, but can be used for other disasters as well.…

This paper introduces the Affording Understanding Conceptual Framework as a way for mathematics teacher educators to analyze student 's perceptions of a digital math tool 's helpfulness (e.g., GeoGebra) versus the instructor's perceptions when seeking insights into how a lesson design could be improved. An example of this action research process…

Faced with school closures in the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, middle level teacher candidates were left with no way to finish their field experiences. The challenge continued into the fall with many schools providing only virtual learning and some not allowing visitors on campus. This article describes the steps one university middle level…

Many teachers do not feel that their pre-service training adequately prepared them to manage and teach students with learning/behavioral challenges, a situation that often diminishes a teacher's sense of instructional self-efficacy. Researchers observe that many teachers with low self-efficacy skills in the classroom also have issues with their…

This article explores how TCTELA's 2024 Teachers of the Year forged the future through their literacy teaching at the elementary, middle school, high school, and college levels. Each essay captures how they understand their work as literacy educators and intentionally educate their students toward a brighter future amid trying local contexts. The…

In this article, the authors report on the initial results of a mixed methods study that examined the beliefs that preservice teachers have about teaching real-world contexts, including those related to injustices, controversial issues, and children's home and cultural backgrounds. Data collection included a survey with 92 preservice Pre-K-8…

This paper outlines a research study involving a University-School District partnership with the intent to increase the number of middle grades mathematics and science teachers by increasing content knowledge, self-efficacy, and interest in these content areas. The selected program component describes the authentic summer research experience that…

This study examined the knowledge of mathematics content of elementary pre-service teachers at a sixth grade level. The researcher administered a mathematics test for sixth graders mandated by the Texas Education Agency to pre-service teachers; the same test was given to sixth graders in Texas. The study found that pre-service teachers performed…

This research examines the impact of field experiences with English language learners on the conceptual and emotional development of preservice disciplinary students. For one semester, preservice university students worked with English language learners enrolled in middle and high school Newcomer Programs. During this time the university students…

Music teaching and learning are socially situated activities. School-university partnerships have the potential to impact preservice teachers' identities and level of socialization. Thus, a sociologically based belief system for establishing and maintaining school-university partnerships may provide cooperating teachers and university faculty…

Though teacher educators nationwide are considering ways to provide urban placements for pre-service teachers (PSTs), little research has examined how PSTs experience placements in schools operated by charter management organizations (CMOs). This study considers CMOs--which often hold particular instructional and classroom management…

The article describes a semester-long project that draws on Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" as a resource and over-arching theme for preservice teachers taking a content area literacy course. We examine how preservice teachers learn to connect written texts to content area (disciplinary) literacy and consider ways to prepare them for…