This paper explores the experiences and learning outcomes of preservice elementary teachers (PSTs) as they integrate computational thinking (CT) into their teaching practices during a structured field experience. Through a qualitative content analysis of video reflections from 27 PSTs, the study examines how teaching CT lessons to K-2 students…

Concerns about the lack of connection between university-based teacher education courses and clinical experiences have long been shared. Practice-based teacher education has been offered as one way to connect these two aspects of teacher education closer together. However, descriptions about how to implement practice-based teacher education in…

Field experiences are regarded as the most effective way to prepare future teachers to be ready for the complexity and challenges found in the teaching profession (Phillion et al., 2005). Ill-prepared teachers may fail to gain fully from field experiences if they are not well prepared or do not value the activity as an out of class task (Hixon…

Purpose: To determine the impact of a training program on the ability of preservice teachers (PTs) to negotiate with their students while teaching through the skill themes approach during an early field experience. Method: Participants were 11 PTs who were given specific training on how to negotiate with their students. Data on their ability to…

Background: Pedagogical models have become an established component of physical education over the past several decades. One such model, the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model, has gained momentum in practice and research, though little is known regarding its use in preservice teacher training. The model follows a flexible format…

While K-12 schools become increasingly more diverse, teacher preparation programs continue graduating mostly White teacher candidates from a middle-class background. If not mitigated, this cultural mismatch can have a detrimental impact on students, as teachers' beliefs about diverse students go unchecked and impact their practice with students.…

While K-12 schools become increasingly more diverse, teacher preparation programs continue graduating mostly White teacher candidates from a middle-class background. If not mitigated, this cultural mismatch can have a detrimental impact on students, as teachers' beliefs about diverse students go unchecked and impact their practice with students.…

Despite elementary teacher education programs preparing preservice teachers in the main content areas of literacy, math, science, and social studies, few elementary school classrooms teach all four content areas on a regular and thorough basis. Therefore, elementary education teacher preparation programs should be redesigned to support an…

In this article, two university professors describe how field-based experiences for preservice elementary teachers in literacy methods courses were adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of completing conventional field experiences and classroom observations, the preservice teachers served as adult helpers for virtual learning at a school…

Given that preparing preservice classroom teachers (PCTs) for movement integration (MI) has gained traction in recent years as a focus of policy and research related to children's school-based physical activity (PA) promotion, the purpose of this study was to examine PCTs' field experiences of learning to integrate movement in elementary…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of initial special education experiences on elementary preservice teachers' knowledge and comfort level regarding students with disabilities. A total of 109 preservice teachers enrolled in a dual teacher certification program (general and special education) were surveyed before and after…

Fieldwork is viewed as integral to geography teaching and acclaimed benefits often include holistic, student-driven learning, where all the senses are engaged and the impacts are more than cognitive. While these benefits are often assumed, in this paper, I argue that geography fieldwork in schools is often teacher-led and focused on the…

Changing demographics in the U.S. require a focus on educating future teachers on how to engage children and families with diverse backgrounds. Teacher educators have been charged to address teachers' cultural competence and provide pedagogical instruction for working with diverse populations. We bolster this line of inquiry by sharing activities…

The integration of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) serves to develop creative thinking and twenty-first-century skills in the classroom (Maeda 2012). Learning through STEAM promotes novelty, innovation, ingenuity, and task-specific purposefulness to solve real-world problems--all aspects that define creativity. Lisa…

This article discusses a field-based study conducted at a small university in southeastern South Dakota in the spring of 2013 during a course in geography for elementary teachers. The course was designed to review and go into depth with college-level content including both human and physical fields of geography. Additionally, it integrates…