Higher education and teacher education in particular are entering a time of transformation. With major forces like shifting demographics, new technologies, and the move from an industrial to an information society, teacher educators need not only to prepare teachers for new ways of teaching, but also must adopt and model best practices for these…

Teachers have many problems transferring theoretical knowledge into practice. That's why teacher educators seek ways for connecting theory and practice in their pre-service teacher education programs. This study describes the activities and the effects of these activities for connecting theory and practice, as well as the recommendations of major…

Fifty-two exceptional education pre-service teachers getting a K-6 endorsement were involved in this study that investigated the changes in levels of mathematics anxiety before and after a mathematics methods course for education majors. The changes were measured with respect to the use of manipulatives and other activities to make mathematics…

The study investigated the changes in levels of mathematics anxiety among pre-service teachers in six different sections of a mathematics method courses for early childhood/elementary education pre-service teachers. The changes were a function of using Bruner's framework of developing conceptual knowledge before procedural knowledge and using…

Surveys of perceptions and attitudes of preservice elementary science teachers regarding their use of telecommunications indicated that they perceived networks as useful tools for enhancing teacher training programs and for supporting their work in the schools. (16 references) (Author/MKR)

Advocates that two methods courses should be developed for each subject area in elementary education so that prospective teachers can specialize in either the primary (K-3) or intermediate grades (4-6). In particular, suggested differences in science methods courses at these two levels are discussed. (JR)

Future teachers were surveyed on their perceptions of the impact of their teacher preparation program upon their success in student teaching. Forty-one undergraduate elementary education majors were surveyed before and after the student teaching experience. Preliminary results suggest that prior to student teaching, these prospective teachers…

The purpose of this study was to investigate certification requirements for elementary teachers in educational institutions to determine their preparation in science. The amount and types of science content, the science processes and skills, science teaching techniques, and general preparation as an elementary teacher who will need to teach…

Studied the effectiveness of having science methods students design their own multimedia programs and then use those programs during a field-based teaching experience. Findings suggested that multimedia can be used effectively in preservice teacher education as a vehicle in content and methodology instruction. (Author/MKR)

Presented is a discussion on the negative attitudes of elementary school teachers toward mathematics and some of the research done in this area. Results of an attitudinal questionnaire, given to 120 perspective elementary teachers, are also presented. Fifty-three females and 8 males responded that they liked mathematics, while 55 females and 4…