A mediated field experience (MFE) mathematics methods course increased both pre-service elementary teachers' (PSTs) self-efficacy for teaching mathematics and mathematical dispositions. The semester-long MFE with significant, structured teaching experiences was conducted onsite at an elementary school. Quantitative, pre- and post-surveys of…

Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model, the researchers designed a Google Form survey to explore elementary preservice teachers' (PSTs') perceptions of using Generative AI (GenAI) as part of an authentic literacy methods course activity. Following the activity, responses to a qualitative survey were analyzed to learn about PSTs' experience of…

Research has revealed that a small percentage of weekly instructional time in the elementary grades is dedicated to teaching science. Additionally, elementary educators receive limited preparation to teach science concepts compared to math or literacy skills. Therefore, this study examined if utilizing poetry to teach science concepts had a…

Although a growing body of scholarship points to the importance of teacher education program coherence, few studies focus on the ways in which teacher education program directors, field placement coordinators, and methods course instructors foster program coherence. This mixed-methods study draws on interview data from four teacher education…

Purpose: To determine the influence of an elementary methods course and early field experience on eight preservice teachers' (PTs') value orientations. Method: The theoretical perspective employed was occupational socialization. Data were collected with the short form of the value orientation inventory and five qualitative techniques (formal and…

This study examined the intersections of preservice elementary teachers' (PSET) professional noticing (PN) of children's mathematical thinking, two mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) domains: mathematics content knowledge (MCK) and mathematics pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK), and two affective domains: attitudes and dispositions toward…

As part of a literacy development course and a subsequent language arts methods course, teacher candidates (TCs) participated in a twenty-week community service learning partnership tutoring elementary students in reading. Through TCs' case study course assignments, survey data, and a focus group interview, the researchers analyzed TCs' growth…

If the declines in interest and performance within school science are to be reversed, it is imperative that competent and confident teachers deliver quality science experiences. This paper reports on the long-term implementation of two complementary, student-centered tertiary science methods courses that integrated instruction in content with…

Master's-level teacher candidates enrolled in a private Catholic college in the suburbs of New York City participated in a 10-week tutoring program that brought to campus parochial elementary school students with diverse learning abilities. The purpose of the program was twofold: to improve the teaching and learning of the graduate students.…

To address a statewide demand for elementary teachers, a midsized Midwestern (U.S.A.) university created an undergraduate licensure program for para-educators, nontraditional students who are already working full-time in schools. Although fieldwork experiences and mentoring occur in the schools where they work, the para-educator preservice…

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of a summer camp-based science methods course on elementary pre-service teachers' self-efficacy in teaching science as inquiry. The science camp was offered to K-6 students as part of the 4-week, 3-credit science teaching methods course over the summer. The pre-service teachers were asked to…

We explored how preservice teachers in a middle school science methods course learned and applied computational thinking (CT) concepts and activities during a month-long intervention. In the intervention, preservice teachers learned about CT concepts through an hour-long lecture in their methods class, practiced a computing-integration activity…

With the release of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), assessing K-12 science teachers' self-efficacy in Computational Thinking (CT) is an important research gap to study. Bandura defines self-efficacy as awareness of the individual's potential and capabilities to accomplish a goal. Teaching efficacy beliefs is a significant identifier…

This study examined preservice teachers' agreement with critically compassionate financial literacy standards and the financial literacy standards developed by The Council for Economic Education for Grade 4. The preservice teachers, enrolled in elementary social studies methods courses at two institutions, responded to surveys about their…

This study, rooted in the evaluation of a reading methods course, sought to determine the implications for preservice teachers (PSTs) who participated in literature circles that intentionally used multicultural literature to discuss social justice issues. Using an interpretative mixed-methods approach, we collected quantitative surveys and…