This paper aims to show how its author/researchers were brought to reconsider some of the assumptions behind a small arc project that was being conducted on the professional development of student teachers in Australia. A small group of English Method students were invited to participate in three focus group interviews: before their first teaching…

An advanced training program in research methodology was designed, implemented, and evaluated for psychology faculty from four-year colleges. The goal was to build and sustain a community of college teachers committed to conducting aging research, incorporating methodological developments in psychology courses, and engaging undergraduate students…

This study evaluated the tendency toward positive beliefs about constructivism for teacher candidates at one university's teacher education program, identifying differences in the beliefs about constructivist learning between early childhood, elementary, and middle school teacher candidates who had taken early childhood methods courses and those…

Researchers noted that introducing technology within a course specific framework, such as a methods class, often results in preservice teachers increasing their computer competency and confidence in using technology and can greatly influence the adoption of technology as part of instructional experiences. To determine if these constructs were…

Relying on only one method of assessment does not necessarily yield an accurate picture of student achievement. This paper discusses aspects of designing, implementing, and evaluating portfolios in a mathematics methods classroom; describes how the use of portfolios has influenced teaching practice; and contains excerpts from student portfolios.…

A study examined "Learning Community" meetings at the College of Education and Human Services at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in which professors, inservice teachers, and preservice teachers in a 15-hour semester block connected with a clinical field experience meet and engage in dialogue about the program. A total of four…

This investigation was conducted to determine changes in the levels of teaching efficacy as a function of the clinical experience in six public elementary schools, among pre-student-teaching novices in four subject areas: science, social studies, language arts, and mathematics. The sample included 58 novices who participated in the semester block…

A 12-hour curriculum/methods block designed to lead elementary education teacher candidates through a constructivist, integrated model of teaching and learning is outlined. This block is part of a graduate level program that leads to licensure and a master's of Curriculum and Instruction in Curriculum and Instruction called Initial Teacher…

A study examined the interaction of teacher and student in a methods preparation course for undergraduate special education majors. The course was structured around several projects, two types of writing logs, and readings. Fieldnotes from an observer participant, records of a debriefing meeting, students' weekly entries on content learning logs…

A study assessed whether means for student evaluations of instruction tended to be lower in research methods classes than in other communication classes. Questionnaires were sent to 126 communication departments listed in the 1993 Speech Communication Association Directory and which were thought likely to require undergraduate research methods…

Intending teachers in two science education methods classes (Fall Quarter, n=27; Spring Quarter, n=21) read and discussed a qualitative study describing science teaching and learning in a culturally diverse middle school. The two primary participants in the qualitative study were a white female veteran life science teacher and a white male…

This study assessed the reactions of 39 teacher candidates toward the following components of a general methods course, "Micro-Teaching: Practice in Teaching Techniques": (1) instruction in methods; (2) pre-teaching conferences; (3) laboratory teaching; and (4) post-teaching conferences. The subjects, who were enrolled in two sections of the…

Changes made to improve a program providing education students a chance to observe and participate in public school elementary classrooms were based on two assumptions. First, it was assumed that students would see a greater need and relevance for ideas and concepts presented in education courses if they spent more time in the schools. Second, it…

This paper addresses the following problem: how do power relationships constrain what counts as knowledge in social studies education and thus constitute the field? By looking at speech acts performed in a given socio-linguistic community one can get insight into discursive practices of that community. The present concern is with power relations…

The purposes of this study were to determine if preservice elementary teachers' attitude toward the metric system can be improved by completing metric units of instruction embedded in a methods course, and to investigate relationships among three types of training, attitude, and learning. The sample was comprised of 126 students in an…