This paper reports the results of a study conducted in an elementary education mathematics methods course aimed at increasing elementary preservice teachers' (EPTs) level of professional noticing. Weekly reflections conducted by EPTs from tutoring sessions were video recorded and scored using the Framework for Learning to Notice Student…

Mathematics standards and practices highlight the vital role that language plays in mathematics education. However, there remains a common misconception that mathematics is somehow language-free or less linguistically demanding than other content areas. This qualitative study describes an intervention implemented in six elementary mathematics…

This paper examines the implementation of an instructional module on Preservice Elementary Teachers' (PSETs) professional noticing of children's mathematical thinking as defined by Jacobs, Lamb, and Philipp (2010). The module focuses on professional noticing skills through the content focus of early algebraic reasoning and uses complex video…

This descriptive study examines the elements of mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) that elementary teacher candidates exhibit as they plan, teach, and reflect on a mathematics lesson that integrates children's literature. Data for this study were gathered from observations and written work of preservice elementary teacher candidates…

Carefully constructed field-based experiences in teacher education programs have been recognized as one of the essential conditions for effective teacher learning. Most college/university-based teacher education programs, however, are still dominated by the epistemology that academic knowledge is the authoritative source of knowledge about…

Mary Kennedy (1999) introduced the problem of enactment to describe how novice teachers often struggle to put what they have learned in coursework into practice in the field. One approach to this problem is to put practice at the center of teacher education by specifying core practices of teaching around which to structure novices' learning…

Preservice elementary teachers' lack of confidence in teaching science is an ongoing concern. Only 29% of elementary teachers in the field felt "very well prepared to teach life science," according to the National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education. Research has suggested that bridging informal and formal science education can…

This article has two aims: (a) to offer a new model for a teacher preparation course that features reflection and teaching as integral, inseparable actions and (b) to provide empirical evidence from an exploratory ethnography to demonstrate teacher development possibilities with this model. The model, termed "Transformative Reflection,"…

The purpose of this research is to examine preservice elementary school teachers' geometry learning as investigated by both qualitative and quantitative methods. For the qualitative investigation, narrative analysis and thematic analysis methods were used. The findings of narrative analysis indicated two main kinds of stories: as a learner and as…

Teachers have many problems transferring theoretical knowledge into practice. That's why teacher educators seek ways for connecting theory and practice in their pre-service teacher education programs. This study describes the activities and the effects of these activities for connecting theory and practice, as well as the recommendations of major…

The current high-stakes educational context compels many schools and school systems to encourage teachers to use restrictive literacy teaching practices, which are unlikely to meet students' diverse needs. These restrictions typically fall on novice teachers, who enter the field through various preparation routes, because they often work in…

This meta-analysis reports on the use of practitioner inquiry (PI) with early program teacher candidates in conjunction with elementary science and math methods courses using cognitive load theory as a theoretical framework. The findings suggest that the teacher candidates enhanced their knowledge of practice within practice across 5 dimensions of…

This article introduces the Instructional Field Observation Rounds Model (INFORM), drawn from the medical profession where resident interns make rounds with experienced physicians, as an alternative approach for conducting classroom observations in pre-service teacher education methods courses. INFORM centers on structured group observations in…

Thirty preservice teachers enrolled in a field-based science methods course were placed at a public elementary school for coursework and for teaching practice with elementary students. Candidates focused on building conceptual understanding of science content and pedagogical methods through innovative curriculum development and other course…

The purpose of this study is to provide descriptive portraits of how two elementary teacher candidates incorporated historical photographs when teaching history. In an effort to construct new knowledge in the field of elementary social studies teacher education, an examination into their planning, implementation, and reflection was investigated.…