A strong case can be made for increasing the hours of the social studies methods course from three to six semester hours. One of the major problems of secondary social studies classes is the unimaginative, unexciting, and predominant practice of transmitting unexamined and unquestioned facts and information to the students. Social studies…

Scores on standardized tests and high school grade point average are not always good predictors of the academic ability or potential success of students choosing to become teachers. An issue often overlooked when sampling the academic qualifications is the identification of students who are not education majors but who plan on becoming teachers.…

Instructional resources for teacher preparation are too thinly distributed and improperly structured to justify the numbers of institutions now engaging in such programs. The next decades should see a substantial reduction in the number of teacher preparation programs and institutions. (Author/MSE)

Preservice teachers, asked to evaluate components of a social studies methods course, rated theory as the least important element, behind methods, field experience, and content. Younger, less experienced preservice teachers considered theory more valuable than others did. (PP)

The five myths which teacher educators should attempt to deal with involve: (1) claims that all teachers are ineffective; (2) inadequacy of teacher preparation programs; (3) adequacy of subject matter knowledge as the primary criteria for good teaching; (4) inadequacy of knowledge base in teacher education; (5) inferiority of education majors. (JN)

Outlines 10 problems of teacher education and strategies to address them. Issues include negative perceptions of public schools, lack of educational foundations, unclear notions of teacher scholarship, student prior knowledge and experience, lack of attention to diversity, inadequate field experiences, student immaturity, college "turf battles,"…

This study of the nature and characteristics of thinking examined how university students without full-time work experience and university graduates with work experience think when posed with an indeterminate situation. The focus was on such characteristics as expression tendencies, approaches to responding, thinking movements, and learning…

The question of whether graduate education is fulfilling its responsibilities to primary and secondary education is discussed in a panel discussion by the following professionals: Ernest L. Boyer, Gregory R. Anrig, Dean C. Corrigan, Patricia Albjerg Graham, and F. James Rutherford. It is suggested that responsibilities of graduate schools should…

Discusses a teaching technique used in a child development course to increase education majors' awareness of personal feelings toward children and childhood. Following a brief summary of several related reports and an outline of six historical viewpoints on children, the technique and its results are explained. (DST)

Research was undertaken to determine whether a profile using logical reasoning ability, attitude toward mathematics, and grade point average would distinguish between concrete and formal operational thinking in preservice teachers. Study results provided evidence that preservice elementary and secondary teachers were functioning at different…

Teacher training programs should permit elementary teachers to specialize in either language arts/social studies or mathematics/science, and prepare them for employment in departmentalized teaching situations. Advantages of such an approach are discussed, as are changes that would be required both at the elementary school level and at teacher…

The present level of competence in teaching and the quality of teacher education are discussed. More emphasis should be placed on graduate professional education programs, which would draw the "best and the brightest." Eight recommendations for improving preservice teacher education are given, including creation of a teaching doctorate and…

Advises student teachers to resist falling into comfortable instructional modes, find their voices as teachers, observe while in action, value both introspective and extroversive teaching styles, help marginalized children, pay attention to cooperating teachers, take initiative in the classroom, be reflective practitioners, and wear comfortable…

In view of the changes that technology is ushering into the field of education, it is necessary to make some substantial changes in the education of teachers. By broadening the base of teacher education, future educators will have a better understanding of: (1) the social, economic, and political changes set in motion by new technology; (2) the…

Existing four-year teacher preparation programs for special education teachers can be improved in several ways through adjustments to the current curricular and experiential requirements. General and liberal education courses should be required and spread out over the entire undergraduate years (rather than concentrating such courses into the…