Numerous research studies have shown that science methods courses based on constructivist approaches can enhance teacher knowledge and confidence in ways that foster more positive attitudes to the teaching of science. However, a critical part of reflective practice is the opportunity to observe competent professionals practising their craft.…

This study explored the dynamics of power relationships in secondary science methods courses taught at an urban university in Southern California for credential candidates. Data collection extended over 10 academic semesters. Employing frameworks of power, self-study, and critical pedagogy, the study analyzes the multifaceted and intricate roads…

The majority of middle school teachers are prepared in either generalist elementary programs or subject-specific secondary programs, yet researchers and teacher educators have little understanding of the ways in which these divergent pathways prepare teachers for working at the middle school level. In this study, preservice teachers from an…

In preparing teachers of English language learners (ELLs), teacher educators face a formidable challenge in the area of reading. Reading is a complex skill that is critical to ELLs' academic achievement. Given the complexity and importance of reading and reading instruction, what topics should be addressed by teacher educators in methods courses?…

Shares what is being done in one English methods course to address the call for English education teacher preparation programs to help prospective teachers construct pedagogical understandings of subject matter. Includes three drafts and a final version of students' basic premises for teaching English language arts. (RS)

Issues-centered teaching is considered an alternative to the monotonous, fragmented and coverage-oriented approach characteristic of most approaches to social studies instruction. This paper sought to investigate how six second-year middle and high school social studies teachers attempted to implement an issues-centered instructional model taught…

While recent research has begun to explore how social studies teachers are responding to a standardized curriculum and its accompanying high-stakes tests, little is known about how teacher education programs are preparing their pre-service teachers for a world in which state curriculum standards and standardized testing often determine the content…

Dimensions of personality and value structure were related to preferences for field activities among preservice teachers. These dimensions included authoritarianism; traditionalism of educational views; progressivism of educational views; child centeredness; institutional centeredness; situational knowledge of practical wisdom in teaching; and…

This study was conducted to determine if there were any differences in the opinions of preservice teachers about the effectiveness of a new block structure for elementary education and methods courses and opinions about the previous course structure. The new structure implemented in the 2000-2001 academic year reduced the courses in elementary…

The context for this investigation was an undergraduate literacy methods course taught by Cindy, the first author of this manuscript. A central course goal was to prepare pre-service teachers to provide effective literacy instruction for children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The focus of this study was an examination of the…

Personal observations suggest that conventional evaluation methods used in methods courses heighten rather than alleviate the insecurity of teachers who suffer from science anxiety. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the benefits of a graduate science methods course that used a nonthreatening evaluation method. This method consisted…

The goal of this dissertation is to clarify the perceptions and concerns that methods faculty at a university located in the Midwest have about integrating instructional technology into their courses along with their current use of technology. Ultimately, this study aims to generate strategies to support methods instructors in their efforts to…

Finds that an elementary mathematics-methods course provided preservice teachers with important knowledge and experience concerning the use of manipulatives. Notes that the preservice teachers learned mathematical content through the use of manipulatives in the course, and that they were concerned that difficulties might impede their ability to…

Explores the changes in one student teacher's thinking about the nature of scientific investigations during her participation in an elementary science methods course assignment. Concludes with a discussion on the movement in this student's view of scientific investigation and the challenges and value of the assignment in a science teacher…

The purpose of this study was to develop and try out an activity in a group of 10 inservice teachers enrolled in a professional development program. A science methods instructor designed an activity based on a learning cycle teaching approach. In the activity, the teachers experienced the social constructing of knowledge and were promoted to a…