This report contains prepared statements and discussion, made before the House Committee on Education and Labor Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, on current problems and future developments in teacher education. Members of the Committee present at the hearing were representatives Simon (chairman), Weiss, Bailey, and Coleman. Witnesses…

To indicate areas for training program improvement, 476 prospective teachers responded to questions developed around educator-identified societal and educational trends to obtain self-analysis of preparation to meet future demands of the teaching role. Less than half felt adequately prepared; most placed heavy emphasis on the practicum component…

Reviews historical trends in the academic abilities of education majors, considers the importance of such abilities in teachers, suggests factors affecting attitudes toward educational careers, discusses past proposals for attracting academically superior students to teaching, and suggests offering forgivable loans to superior students who will…

A study using 10 University of South Africa education graduates investigated how students experience two very different textbooks. Results suggest that the students' personal circumstances dictated their approaches to instructional texts. Other factors included English language proficiency; textual features (advance organizers, visual aids,…

Compares concept mapping, simulated recall, reflective journals, and discourse analysis as methods of assessing thinking of 2 cohorts of 9 and 17 undergraduate students in their senior year of an early childhood teacher education program, respectively. Methodologies yield different, but complementary, pictures of preservice teachers' knowledge.…

Study investigated whether the use of videotaped models demonstrating effective teaching strategies in an elementary science lesson would promote increased use of effective questioning strategies among preservice teachers (n=38). Results show that the use of the videotaped teaching models increased the use of high-level, divergent,…

Discusses Vee mapping, a technique to assist students in categorizing the relationship between the conceptual and procedural aspects of science. Presents a study to investigate elementary education majors' (n=27) use of the Vee heuristic and concept mapping for the construction of knowledge; attitudes toward learning science in collaborative…

Provides a framework for observing and supporting the development of students as constructivist teachers, especially during their field placements as student teachers. The instructional shift to a constructivist approach is described, and guiding principles and possible indicators of the constructivist model are presented. (SLD)

Describes a course for graduate science education students in the history, philosophy, and nature of science. Topics addressed include the course motivation and evolution; aims, topics, and goals; organization and instructional methodology; a reading list; projects; and grading and evaluation. (PR)

Examined policies and practices concerning student and alumni credential files and how these files are valued by teacher-hiring officials. Surveys were completed by 273 career services/placement professionals and by 506 chief-hiring officials in public schools. Found that maintaining and mailing credentials continued to be service provided by…

In the spring of 1995 Northern Arizona University initiated a pilot program for a new content emphasis for elementary education majors. This new emphasis, "Diversity in Educational Contexts," is designed to prepare teachers to instruct the diverse children they will encounter in their public and private classrooms. The new program…

Recent research has focused on how prospective teachers formulate beliefs related to teaching and learning mathematics and science. This paper examines the use of videotaped mathematics and science lesson segments to aid in the description or identification of initial belief structures of prospective elementary school teachers. Using a…

Cooperative learning emphasizes collaboration over competition and celebrates individual and group talents, cultures, and ideas. This paper presents a research-based overview of the academic advantages accruing to at-risk students involved in cooperative learning groups, suggests how teacher educators can equip preservice teachers with cooperative…

West Chester University (Pennsylvania) set up a project designed to meet the seemingly diverse yet very similar needs of teacher education students and inner city children. Prospective teachers must begin to value and effectively serve more diverse populations, and the relationship between campus and the real world needs to be strengthened.…

"Classroom Assessment" is designed for students taking a first course in classroom assessment and measurement. It shows how assessment principles apply to the full range of teacher decision making, and not just the formal evaluation of student learning. For this reason, the book has been organized in a manner that follows the natural progression…