BECAUSE THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY SWEEPING SHIFTS IN EMPHASES IN THE PAST DECADE IN THE PREPARATION OF SECONDARY ENGLISH TEACHERS BY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS ARE DIFFICULT TO CONSTRUCT. ALTHOUGH TRENDS ARE EVIDENT AND ARE BEGINNING TO BE MANIFESTED IN THE KINDS OF TRAINING GIVEN PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS, PROBLEMS…

INFORMATION IS PRESENTED BASED ON RESPONSES OF 203 DEPARTMENT CHAIRMEN TO A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDYING THE TRAINING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS AT THE UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL. SUBJECTS SURVEYED WERE COURSE REQUIREMENTS, PROFICIENCY TESTS, METHODS COURSES, PRACTICE TEACHING, NUMBER OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE GRADUATES, AND PLANS FOR CHANGES IN THE TEACHER…

This is a report of a year of experimental teaching at Southeastern State College, Oklahoma, in 1970-71. The experimental nature of the research was to employ ideas and methods of contemporary "romantic" educational theorists in teaching an undergraduate English methods class and an experienced teacher graduate class in Recent Trends in English…

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 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…

This paper explores perceptions of teacher education students regarding the relative value of four methods-course components--experiences with children, methods, content, and theory. The objective is to provide information to educators in teacher training programs as they determine how various components of the teacher education process influence…

Presents a case study involving two teaching certification students. Examines how a social studies methods course and a one-year elementary school postbaccalaureate teacher education program influenced students' educational beliefs and practices. Finds influences are partial, differential, and interactive with students' backgrounds and…

The Plains Elementary School/Ohio University Partnership Project began in 1991 as a collaborative effort between a university and a public school to restructure the professional development of preservice teachers, elementary school staff, and College of Education faculty. Each year a cohort group of approximately 25 Ohio University junior-level…

This study was conducted to answer three major questions relative to undergraduate preservice secondary education programs: (1) What courses in pedagogy are required of all secondary education majors and how many credits are awarded in each area? (2) What are the current practices relative to student teaching credit and evaluation? and (3) How…

A social studies elementary teacher education program at Phillips Institute of Technology in Australia is described. The program, which places students in charge of teaching a 9-week social studies unit, is recommended as an alternative to the conventional lecture method. The paper is divided into discussion of five aspects of the course:…

Described in this document is a schedule of teacher behaviors specified as being most appropriate for preservice elementary social studies teachers. Pre-teaching tasks are allocated to the social studies methods class; teaching-learning and post-teaching tasks to the student teaching experience. The tasks, stated in behavioral terms, are…

Two teacher educators utilized professional standards to inform their teaching. They used reflective dialog, action research, and critical inquiry in a standards-based language arts curriculum to support revisions and improvements in classroom practices and curriculum development. This led to new ideas about collaborative structures and stimulated…

A 4-year preservice program is examined to ascertain the effectiveness of the program and its impact on participants as well as the impact it may have upon future teacher education programs. Data from questionnaires completed by current clinical students and their cooperating teachers are analyzed, discussed, and considered in conjunction with a…

A review of the literature on the transfer of preservice teacher training to the classroom suggests that several definitive factors enhance transfer. A social studies methods course was developed with these factors in mind, and included directed reading activities (DRA) with a text, controversial topic discussion, and inquiry. During the academic…

A competency-based undergraduate reading methods course and a competency-based language arts methods course have been offered at Rhode Island College as part of the preservice training of prospective elementary teachers. In addition to these courses, the Right to Read staff has developed two student teaching centers. This two-year final report…