This study investigated the effectiveness of an Early Childhood Education science methods course that focused exclusively on providing various mastery (i.e., enactive, cognitive content, and cognitive pedagogical) and vicarious experiences (i.e., cognitive self-modeling, symbolic modeling, and simulated modeling) in increasing preservice…

We investigated curricular and pedagogical innovations in an undergraduate science methods course for elementary education majors at the University of Maryland. The goals of the innovative elementary science methods course included: improving students' attitudes toward and views of science and science teaching, to model innovative science teaching…

Fifty-two exceptional education pre-service teachers getting a K-6 endorsement were involved in this study that investigated the changes in levels of mathematics anxiety before and after a mathematics methods course for education majors. The changes were measured with respect to the use of manipulatives and other activities to make mathematics…

The lack of mathematical understanding of elementary preservice teachers with respect to many mathematical topics has been well documented. Far fewer studies have been conducted on any content area of knowledge of secondary teachers and even less in the mathematics content area. The assumption by the general population is that mathematics majors…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of peer-generated feedback versus visual feedback in inspiring preservice physical education teachers to produce reflections that are more critical than technical. The participants were junior-, senior-, and graduate-level health and physical education majors enrolled in an instructional…

Two groups of education majors, enrolled in traditional and experimental methods courses, were compared in their knowledge of professional and general educational information, knowledge of the elementary school curriculum, classroom instructional behavior, and adaptability to changing classroom situations. The experimental methods course, prepared…

A strong case can be made for increasing the hours of the social studies methods course from three to six semester hours. One of the major problems of secondary social studies classes is the unimaginative, unexciting, and predominant practice of transmitting unexamined and unquestioned facts and information to the students. Social studies…

Several surveys of students enrolled in elementary school mathematics methods courses provided the background for a pilot study of attitudes on teaching elementary mathematics. In a discussion of the literature on the subject, the importance of teachers' attitudes and their influence on children's attitudes is stressed. Two exploratory studies of…

The purpose of this study was to examine programmatic factors that positively impact changes in elementary preservice teachers' teaching self-efficacy beliefs. Specifically, it examined the impact of science methods courses, student teaching, and science content courses on elementary preservice teachers' science teaching self-efficacy. The Science…

Discusses national trends and local variations in teacher education and describes a survey to ascertain students' views on the teacher training process and the debate between classroom technicians and educational analysts. (CK)

A study of marketing education teacher preparation programs was conducted in order to provide baseline data. Fifty-three marketing education programs were identified and a survey instrument was mailed to their administrators. Forty-one of the administrators (77 percent) provided usable responses. The study found that traditional teacher education…

Describes the needs of elementary science teachers and presents a program model for preservice science teacher education. Discusses developing attitudes, skills, and knowledge. (PR)

The preparation of music educators involves many facets. Students obtain pedagogical knowledge, understanding, and skill development during the college experience. In addition, preservice music teachers do numerous writing and reading projects as well as peer teaching. One area that tends to be lacking in the preparation before student teaching is…

This document contains four papers presented at a panel on implications of the Holmes Group and the Carnegie Commission reports for vocational teacher education. In the first paper, Charles W. Smith discusses general issues concerning the emergence of the education reform movement and calls for vocational educators to be part of the reform…

Perceptions of 242 graduates of the Division of Education program at Indiana University at South Bend were studied. Bachelors' and masters' level graduates who received their degrees during 1970-1983 were mailed opinionaires to determine the following information: respondents' employment status and their opinions regarding courses/topics in…