Teacher education programs are pivotal in the professional preparation and formation of pre-service secondary mathematics teachers (PSMTs), but there appears to be a lack of understanding of how best to prepare PSMTs for the profession. The purpose of this study was to examine and monitor changes over time in PSMTs' views about approaches to…

A "digital explanation" is a science learning task where learners explain science content to non-expert others, in this case, the learners are primary preservice teachers [PST] in a science methods class. In the task, PST are assigned a prompt based on science content from the New South Wales K-6 syllabus and generate or source multiple…

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…

In an era of accountability government and industry bodies are mandating that teacher education programs provide evidence of their impact. This paper provides an example of evidence-based practice, exploring how a team teaching and blended learning approach influenced the development of pre-service teachers (PSTs) competency skills and knowledge.…

Increased accessibility of advanced technology, the targeted use of online learning platforms, student flexible learning expectations and the pressures of faculty budget constraints and priorities have called into question the effectiveness of traditional tertiary teaching and learning models. The tertiary education context must evolve at a pace…

In 2011 all Australian teacher education institutions participated in the Teaching Teachers of the Future project. Each institution introduced initiatives adapted to their particular institutional context. At ACU we adopted an approach based on providing resources reflecting authentic classroom practices coupled with providing support staff to…

Many preservice primary teachers have low self-efficacy for science teaching. Although science methods courses have often been shown to enhance self-efficacy, science content courses have been relatively ineffective in this respect. This study investigated whether a tailored science content course would enhance self-efficacy. The participants were…

The Teaching Teachers to the Future project provided an opportunity to try a new idea within the ICT and Pedagogy methods subject of the Bachelor of Education program. We believed that deliberately helping pre-service teachers transition from being an online learners to online teachers, coaches and facilitators would assist these new teachers to…

This article reports the investigation of change in preservice teachers' conceptions of effective history teaching across a secondary history methods course in a postgraduate diploma of education program. Using concept mapping to plot shifts in their expressed reflections, data were obtained that indicate personal constructs of effective history…

The "flipped classroom" is gaining popularity in a number of settings, including secondary schools, reflecting a belief that the approach is more engaging and effective for students. This paper reports on a senior secondary mathematics class's experience with adopting a flipped classroom approach. The findings indicate that the teacher…

The arts are a key developmental area in early childhood education. Subsequently, it is important that generalist teachers know how to teach suitable arts knowledge and skills. As a teacher educator, the responsibility of this falls within the author's teaching. It is her job to teach future teachers suitable arts knowledge and skills. This…

This case study examined the integration of a media annotation tool ("MAT") into the learning and assessment activities of an undergraduate teaching (physical education) course. The media form or artefact for annotation was video recordings demonstrating individual learners' teaching practice. The learners categorised (marked sections)…

This article presents data from a group of secondary pre-service teachers who used vee diagrams to illustrate their conceptual and methodological analyses of a problem, as part of a required mathematics methods course assignment. The individually constructed vee diagrams were analysed in terms of the extent to which they displayed principles and…

Virtual learning is a popular teaching modality, and it has been reported in research that there is no significant difference in academic outcome as compared with face-to-face courses. Not all researchers agree with this assertion and some claim it is more difficult to teach math-oriented subjects online. Given that educational psychology theories…

Contemporary undergraduate courses in research methods are challenging to teach because of the wide scope of the subject matter, limited student contact hours and the complexity of supervising research projects undertaken by novices. Focus group assignments within class offer an interesting and enjoyable way for students to develop and apply…