This methods book is divided into 13 parts. The first 12 parts (each beginning with a list of performance objectives) focus on: understanding the nature of science and technology; reasons for teaching science to children; a short history of elementary science methods in the United States; the products of science; the processes of science;…

Reports on a study of early field experience activities in 22 teacher education programs. Concludes that the goals of most field experiences programs are seldom achieved. Recommends more institutional support and field experience assignments geared to self-reflection and analysis. (CFR)

Reports on the initial stages of an ongoing action-research project in multicultural teacher education. Viewing curriculum as the creation of culturally significant domains for conversation, the project inquired into how a secondary English-methods course centered on issues of cultural diversity and emerging professional identities was taken up by…

In recent years there has been a growing interest in arming physical education teachers with critical pedagogies. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of a critically oriented methods course and early field experience (EFE) on 20 preservice teachers' (PTs) conceptions of the teaching-learning process. Data were collected using…

The use of constructivism and its various manifestations in education has been a topic of much interest in recent years. Inquiry into this theoretical framework has resulted in teacher educators' attempts to help their teacher candidates apply constructivist pedagogy in university classrooms, field experiences and student teaching at two US…

This booklet uses materials developed during the High School Geography Project to guide teachers and other participants through the formulation of learning objectives, evaluation of those objectives, use of that evaluation to improve teaching, and the application of the process to the construction of an evaluation instrument. After completing the…

While the value of portfolio learning and assessment has gained much support from the educational community, many questions arise as specific implementations are attempted. This study examined one aspect, namely, the content validity of specific requirements, and addressed the question "How do various constituencies (methods students, student…

A study investigated the effectiveness of training programs for teaching assistants (TAs) in language courses at the University of Texas at Austin. The programs provided for these students, offered through various language departments, are designed to introduce the most important teaching methodologies and provide opportunities for TAs to gain…

The purpose of this study is to investigate to what extent the characteristics of constructivist learning environment existed in English Language Teaching (ELT) Methodology II courses and whether students' perception of the learning environment differed according to certain variables. The subjects of the study were 410 students taking ELT…

The article describes the authors' experiences team teaching two sections of the same undergraduate social studies/language arts methods course using a model in which both instructors are present at all class meetings. One section was composed of predominantly older, nontraditional students; the other section included more typical college…

This article examines issues that were critical for eight preservice teachers learning to teach mathematics and social studies in the context of reform-minded methods classes. The issues include: (1) the impact of their prior knowledge and experience in the development of content-specific pedagogical knowledge; (2) their conceptions of mathematics…

This study examined the effects of different instructional approaches on male and female, Caucasian preservice teachers' opinions about multicultural education issues at a Mississippi university. Both the treatment group (N=19) and the comparison group (N=32) listened to lectures that focused on multicultural education concepts and the…

This paper develops the idea of "the authority of experience" to explain the unease about teacher education represented in comments of 19 graduate students enrolled in a preservice physics education methods course which combined on-campus classes and teaching placements. Interviews with the student teachers after the first half of the…

Most studies investigating preservice teachers' attitudes towards computers have drawn subjects from required computer classes or from elective courses. This study examines computer attitudes of preservice teachers in reading, mathematics, and science education methods courses which have not traditionally emphasized the role of computers in the…

A study investigated the differences in the teaching of methods courses in Research and Development (R & D) institutions and in other teacher education programs. The study's major interest was in discerning the emphasis given to "research" in methods courses offered in institutions having an R & D emphasis and comparing it with the emphasis found…