A study examined the processes associated with the transition of a classroom teacher from the elementary setting to the higher education setting. As integral elements of this transition, the study examined the participant's personal practical theories (PPT's) that guided his elementary teaching, the level of congruence between the PPT's and the…

Rather than just examine surface problems, a more productive inquiry into social studies teacher education is to examine the structure and internal processes of teacher education. When probing beneath the surface and looking within, teacher educators see three unflattering images: misplaced martyrdom, myth maintenance, and woe-is-meism. Misplaced…

This naturalistic study of teacher educators explored the differences between the attitudes of methods teachers and instructional development (ID) teachers toward ID and teacher education. Three faculty members were interviewed in depth, and brief questionnaires were sent to seven faculty members in each of the two fields; responses were received…

To determine how college instructors evaluate student learning in their reading methods course, a questionnaire was administered to 15 instructors of elementary, and 11 instructors of secondary, reading methods courses. The instrument was divided into five sections for the purpose of collecting the following data: (1) course design and components…

The goal of teacher education is to prepare prospective teachers to become reflective practitioners who are able to make pedagogical decisions in light of sound theory. This report describes a model for integrating science and mathematics methods with student teaching. Efforts to maintain a critical bond between theory and practice is one…

A three-part study was undertaken to determine the status of preservice elementary science education in New England. The first part ("Crisis in Elementary Science Education: New England") reports on a survey of New England teacher education institutions to determine the amount and types of science content and elementary science methods…

Specific areas in foreign language teacher training programs are defined as problem areas: the teaching of culture, activities to promote the study of foreign languages, and language testing. It is stated that foreign language teachers should have competence in (1) content area, (2) the learning-teaching process, and (3) the relationship of…

The collaborative innovation described in this paper, the use of cooperating teachers in instructing methods courses, is an integral part of a thorough revision of the student teaching program in secondary social studies at the University of Alberta. This innovation was the response to multiple problems with the student teaching program.…

Many believe that whether teachers teach students to "do" science, teach about science, or teach about technology instead, science teachers should be as culturally literate about science as possible. Also, it is believed that a philosophy of science course which uses history of science, some normative epistemologies, practical examples, and…

This presentation describes the use of portfolio assessment in a teacher education course "Teaching Reading in the Content Areas," which is required for secondary certification. Portfolio assessment provides students with opportunities to determine which skills are most congruent with their respective areas. The main body of this paper…

This paper looks at the Teacher Education Equity Project, which was designed to bring gender equity to teacher education. Carried out from 1993 to 1996, the project worked with 61 teachers in 27 states who taught methods courses in mathematics, science, and technology to help them teach their preservice students about gender equity. The project…

Relationships between students' (N=169) rating of instruction and students' attitudes about inquiry and traditional teaching in elementary science classes were investigated. Since one of the goals of their methods class was to develop or adopt teaching styles on their own, it was hypothesized that the congruence of students' adopted teaching style…

An educator who teaches physics to grade 12 students and a physics curriculum and methods course to preservice teachers analyzes the impact of context on teaching practice. A paper by A. Richert titled "Voice and Power in Teaching and Learning To Teach" is used as the foundation for interpreting the author's experience of teaching…