Recent research has focused on how prospective teachers formulate beliefs related to teaching and learning mathematics and science. This paper examines the use of videotaped mathematics and science lesson segments to aid in the description or identification of initial belief structures of prospective elementary school teachers. Using a…

Cooperative learning emphasizes collaboration over competition and celebrates individual and group talents, cultures, and ideas. This paper presents a research-based overview of the academic advantages accruing to at-risk students involved in cooperative learning groups, suggests how teacher educators can equip preservice teachers with cooperative…

West Chester University (Pennsylvania) set up a project designed to meet the seemingly diverse yet very similar needs of teacher education students and inner city children. Prospective teachers must begin to value and effectively serve more diverse populations, and the relationship between campus and the real world needs to be strengthened.…

"Classroom Assessment" is designed for students taking a first course in classroom assessment and measurement. It shows how assessment principles apply to the full range of teacher decision making, and not just the formal evaluation of student learning. For this reason, the book has been organized in a manner that follows the natural progression…

Student teachers' thoughts about teaching can shape, foster, or impede their growth toward expert pedagogy. This study examined the thoughts about teaching of two groups of student teachers--45 graduate and 63 undergraduate students. The professional coursework of both groups was very similar, with one exception--graduate students had no practica…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the cognitive styles of 144 education majors over a 2-to-3-year period culminating in the internship experience. The hypothesis was that scores on the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) following the internship would be more field-independent, and the intent was to document the influence of…

In an effort to improve the long-term transfer and retention of ethnically diverse students in education, Southwestern College (SWC) embarked on a cooperative project with San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of California, San Diego UCSD), to address the needs of ethnically diverse students who express the goal of becoming…

A grant project sought to encourage minority participation in teacher education, while offering individual tutoring and mentoring to at-risk children. Involved in the project were 3 Mississippi State University Meridian senior education majors, 4 Meridian Community College sophomores with expressed interest in teacher education, 5 Meridian High…

A preliminary investigation was conducted of the construct validity of the Inventory of Classroom Management Style (ICMS), a scale to measure differences in perceptions of classroom management style. The main objective was to determine if the scale reflects differences between novice and experienced teachers. Classroom management is defined as a…

Two studies are reported: "Elements of 'Good Teaching': A Comparison of Education Students' Perceptions in Botswana, California, Finland, and Zimbabwe" (John Yoder, Larry Shaw, Ben Siyakwazi, Kaarina Yli-Renko) and "Intercultural Communication: A Challenge to German Language Teacher Education" (Kaarina Yli-Renko). The first…

Multimedia computer technology and modified case methodologies were used to encourage and facilitate the process of reflection by beginning teachers. A computer-based multimedia system was developed and tested that features prespecified cases for analysis, facilities for linking various aspects of one case to other cases, and capabilities for…

Beliefs about the causes of success and failure in academic achievement were compared for students in the United States and Israel. The following 11 attributions were placed randomly in a questionnaire format: (1) mood; (2) skill; (3) knowledge; (4) chance; (5) effort; (6) competence; (7) help; (8) ability; (9) task; (10) bias; and (11) luck. Each…

Recognition of teachers as professionals can come with increased college preparation, professional participation of all segments of the profession with mutual respect for one another, and a more active voice by the profession in licensing and establishment of standards. Preparation requirements for teachers should be mandated nationally rather…

Current facts concerning the teaching profession should be analyzed and acted upon. Most college students now studying to enter the teaching profession come from the bottom quarter of those taking the college entrance examinations. Schools and Colleges of Education are held in very low esteem on most campuses; therefore, when budgets are cut, they…

State-sponsored programs that seek to attract college students to teaching by student financial aid, primarily through loan "forgiveness," are discussed, based on a survey of chief state school officers. The programs have focused on loans, and the most commonly employed form of assistance enables the recipient to repay a portion of the…