Teaching methodologies, such as Problem Based Learning (PBL), have arisen in response to educational research that has found evidence that even though lecturing may be the most prevalent teaching tool it is arguably the least effective way to facilitate student learning. It is important then, for methods instructors to give preservice teachers…

This paper observes that the "Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education" generated by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) (2000) provides a reasonable set of pedagogical goals to guide the construction and implementation of the undergraduate methods course. The paper argues that the particular…

This investigation traced changes in anxiety for teaching mathematics (ATM) among pre-service elementary school teachers (n=36) enrolled in a mathematics methods course by analyzing their weekly journal entries. Journal entries were coded for high level of ATM (ATM-high) or absence of ATM (ATM-absent) during the first class session, as well as…

This paper discusses "Doing Theory in the Methods Class: Focused Reflection," a chapter from the book "Whole Language Voices in Teacher Education" edited by Kathryn F. Whitmore and Yetta Goodman. The book chapter focuses on guided classroom reflection as a key element in the education of preservice teachers, exploring whether…

As a result of the new era in science education reform, professional associations in science such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) have developed science standards for grades K-12. This paper describes a model for utilizing the AAAS Project 2061 benchmarks for these standards in a science methods course. The course…

This study examined 65 preservice teachers' metaphors for describing roles of the mathematics teacher. Previous research suggested that metaphors for teaching typically ascribe three distinct roles of the teacher: teaching, assessing, and classroom management. The findings of this study reveal that student metaphors were not systematic across the…

A study examined students' reactions to the Student-Directed Discussion technique (an attempt to develop a class "text" from the students' joint construction of meaning) as used in a methods course on language development. The students (25 of 27 were present the day of the survey) responded anonymously concerning whether they thought the…

Northeast Louisiana University's Professional Semester began in 1976 to respond to a need for more practical application of what was taught in the required methods courses of the elementary education degree program. It was designed to avoid duplication of generic activities and to let students apply theory and teaching techniques in the classroom.…

This paper describes efforts to develop a social studies methods course based on a foundation of critical theory in education. The literature concerning critical theory is discussed. Critical theory focuses on three areas of educational thought: (1) the relationship of school to society; (2) conceptions of knowledge and curriculum; and (3) the…

This publication describes a joint program in which K-12 social studies methods students enrolled at Indiana University utilize the facilities of the Northern Indiana Historical Society Museum (NIHSM). The museum has developed two kits--the Indian Kit and the Pioneer Kit--which contain items most representatve of the pioneer and Indian eras of…

Presented are the results of a Delphi study designed to determine the objectives of secondary science methods courses and the concerns of the professors who plan them. The results present, in the order of importance, the three following concerns: (1) planning one or more science lessons, (2) constructing a classroom evaluation scheme, and (3)…

This investigation was conducted in order to compare gains in knowledge of selected reading concepts of preservice teachers in their senior year of a four-year academic, undergraduate teacher education program at the University of Dallas, regardless of course sequencing and past scholastic achievement. Sixty preservice teachers, taught by the same…

In language methods courses, there is an attempted integration of the concept of individualized instruction into all of the regular methods class activities. This integration can occur as follows: (1) In teaching language methods, different language learning activities for individual students are considered. (2) In discussing methods for teaching…

The Teacher Education: Performance and Field Oriented (TEPFO) program at the University of Washington is distinguished from many other teacher education programs by its emphasis on four factors: clinic-field interaction, performance-based behavior, strong peer relationships among all program participants, and length of the continuous program. The…

The English methods class should become a supportive group which encourages the introduction of real feelings, thoughts, and experiences into the learning process. Once a base of common personal experiences is established, direction can be focused inward through the use of the journal. Journal entries can provide a forum for the expression of…