A structured interview process is proffered as an effective means to advance prospective teachers' understandings of students as learners of mathematics, a key component of pedagogical content knowledge. The interview process is carried out in three phases with the primary objective of developing listening skills for accessing students'…

Preservice teachers have difficulty incorporating research-based instructional strategies and often revert to those observed during their own school years. This study describes how preservice teachers used a framework of planning, implementation, feedback, and reflection to try research-based teaching practices from their methods courses and…

Describes a lesson in a research methods class teaching undergraduate students instrument construction and interviewing techniques, using film viewing, discussion, and interviewing exercises. Student reactions were positive. (CK)

One technique particularly worthy of possible inclusion in the secondary social studies methods class is an assignment in which students interview practicing social studies teachers. In addition to obtaining more insight into actual teaching practice, methods students learn about interviewing as a social studies teaching method. A course is…

This study examined the views, and the retention of these views, of 19 preservice elementary teachers as they learned about nature of science (NOS). The preservice teachers participated in a cohort group as they took a science methods course during which they received explicit reflective instruction in nature of science. Through Views of Nature of…

Responds to the article "Social Studies Teacher Educators' Perceptions of Character Education" (Andrew J. Milson). Disagrees strongly with the ideas presented by Milson in his article, stating that the survey discussed is attempting to promote a certain agenda. (CMK)

Responds to Alan Singer in his "Response to Milson on Character Education." States that Singer's account is flawed because his article is based on a misunderstanding of the purpose of the study presented in Milson's original article, "Social Studies Teacher Educators' Perceptions of Character Education." (CMK)

Teacher educators from the preservice programs in the Teacher Education and Learning to Teach Study were interviewed about the purposes of their methods courses, using an interview schedule constructed around individual course syllabi. The respondents seem to have complex, hazy, and perhaps unconscious purposes for these courses. Many of the…

Examines social studies teachers educators' perceptions of character education selecting a sample of National Council for the Social Studies members (n=298). Focuses on perceptions of the common themes of character education, scope of character education, and inclusion of character education in methods courses. Includes references. (CMK)

William Perry argued that adult development can be marked by a progressively refined set of questions focused on how Authorities like teachers can support multiple right answers and still maintain that there are wrong answers. When prospective English teachers view right and wrong answers as relativistic, they seem to view themselves as…

Presents an interview with Phil Nyden, a professor at Loyola University (Illinois). Describes his qualitative methods course. Includes his suggestion of a group project rather than individual research projects enabling students to focus on methodology rather than substantive issues. Lists course objectives: learning qualitative methods, applied…

The way in which graduate students in a course in school organization and administration at Washington State University (Pullman) have been guided through conducting original case studies of the administrators and others working in public schools and school districts was studied, as was the impact of these studies on the students. Students were…

Presents a study to determine the effects of introducing methods students to the "learning cycle" technique on their ability to adapt science textbooks to the method and employ it in their teaching. Interviews of 24 randomly selected students out of 48 participants indicated that 75 percent used the approach while student teaching and…

A component of preservice teacher education is the methodology of teaching mathematics using manipulatives. To enhance prospective teachers' understanding of the use of manipulatives to teach mathematics, interactive video can provide an effective medium to bring the reality of the school classroom to the university classroom. Two interactive…

This study contributes to a growing body of research on the development of elementary teacher's content knowledge of mathematics. Individual clinical interviews were conducted with preservice elementary teachers (N=21) enrolled in a professional development course called "Foundations of Mathematics for Teachers." An instrument that…