There is no set curriculum for language teacher training, not even a list of desirable personal characteristics to be developed. A course in methodology should, therefore, be treated as an apprenticeship. (MLA)

Reports results of survey of teacher training institutions in the United States and Canada to determine training that prospective English teachers receive in the educational uses of computers. Highlights include the use of computers in English methods courses, attitudes of faculty toward computers, and use of computers in schools where student…

Determined whether the field experience component of an undergraduate science methods course influenced teachers' concerns and attitudes toward science and science teaching. Age, grade-point average, openmindedness, and school assignment were examined as variables which might explain some of the variance in the dependent measures. (Author/JN)

This study assesses the influence of a set of activities developed based on preservice elementary science teachers' conceptions of the nature of science (NOS). It also compares the effectiveness of these activities when implemented using two approaches. The first approach was a direct explicit approach while the second featured additional…

Discusses the use of personal letters written between students and teachers in a reading methods course, noting its effects on student motivation and interest and on program evaluation. (VJ)

Describes a mathematics content course in which observations are made by preservice elementary school teachers of actual classroom teachers. This course emphasizes these aspects of teacher education: attitudes towards mathematics, achievement and understanding of content, expectation levels of prospective teachers, and understanding of elementary…

Reports results of a study investigating effects of alternative modes of science methods instruction on 90 preservice elementary teachers': (1) beliefs about science teaching; and (2) general attitudes toward teaching. Student performance on criterion measures was found to differ significantly in three different modes of science instruction. (CS)

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)

Preservice teacher candidates changed their thinking about mathematics, mathematics teaching, and children's mathematics learning after completing a mathematics methods course that promoted a nontraditional approach, which focused on teaching mathematics from a student-centered viewpoint. (20 references) (IAH)

The nature of science (NOS) has a prominent role among the national science education content standards at all grade levels, K-12. Results from a national survey of collegiate science educators indicate the perception that the greatest contributors to preservice teachers' understanding of the nature of science were science methods courses,…

Noting that many preservice teachers enter required courses believing that the course is something to endure or overcome for certification, a study examined whether a reading methods course would convince students to view teaching the reading process as a vital and necessary function of content area teachers. Six classes of students (three…

Reports on a survey of secondary school English teachers and English methods professors that was conducted to determine what they considered the actual content of English methods courses was and what they felt ideally should be included in the courses. (HOD)

The value of using more than one data collection procedure to investigate an educational question is illustrated. A semantic differential instrument provided an index of the direction and intensity of teachers' attitudes, but an unstructured interview provided a more detailed portrayal of their opinions. (RM)

Documented training and educational activities of preservice elementary education majors (N=20) to determine what (if any) aspects of their science training contribute to developing the apprehension elementary teachers have toward science, science education, and science instruction. Results, conclusions, and implications are reported from the…