Seventy-seven pre-service teachers enrolled in an introductory special education course completed a questionnaire on their beliefs about learning, teaching, and disability, before and after completing one of two randomly assigned training modules on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Module A presented UDL as a strategy for meeting the specific…

This study examined preservice elementary education students' sense of efficacy regarding student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management based on the type of observations they completed. A total sample size of 64 elementary education students enrolled in four sections of an introductory elementary education course and…

This study explored pre-service teachers' conceptual understanding and performance on science process skills. A sample comprised 91 elementary pre-service teachers at a university in the Midwest of the USA. Participants were enrolled in two science education courses; introductory science teaching methods course and advanced science methods course.…

This study has investigated the effects of learning strategy instruction on conceptual learning, and student satisfactions in an introductory physics course at university level. In this study, pretest-posttest and quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was used. A total of 36 sophomore students majoring in mathematics…

Describes teaching-to-learn activities in a community service setting involving nonscience majors in an introductory natural science course at a community college, middle school students, and a Cub Scout pack of home schooled, elementary-aged children. (SAH)

Discussion of methods that can be used to teach beginner courses in computer literacy focuses on students aged 10-12. The value of using a programing language versus using a generic software package is highlighted; Logo and Prolog are reviewed; and the use of databases is discussed. (LRW)

Describes how one group of beginning preservice teachers constructed meaning about portfolios during an introductory course in the teacher education programs. Surveys of students who had and had not participated in a portfolio-like intervention indicated that intervention students had significantly increased knowledge and understanding of the…

In an effort to introduce communication skills to elementary students, a basic communication lesson was taught to 8 different groups of students (3rd, 5th, and 6th graders) with approximately 15 students in each group. The groups met for 25-minute sessions. One mixed-age group met for 60 minutes. Four objectives were formulated for each class,…

Indiana University college teacher discusses undergraduate science education and effective teaching in introductory courses. The method recommended by educator Arnold Arons trades passive lecture for hands-on learning and Socratic dialogue. Indiana University began a successful research program which brought Arons' method to large-enrollment…

This paper describes a case study of the use of cases in teacher education, comparing the responses of three prospective teachers to three cases of teaching. In an introduction to teaching course, the teacher educator used the three cases to provide alternative images of practice, hoping to influence the students' beliefs about teaching and about…

This paper describes an introductory teacher education course designed to challenge prospective teachers' beliefs about schooling, teaching, and learning, formed as a result of personal experience. The instructor encountered problems in attempting both to engage his students' existing beliefs about teaching and learning and to encourage their…

Describes an introductory biology course designed to enhanced the science learning of elementary education majors. A consideration of students' learning styles and interests combined with a belief that science academic talent is not a selective process, resulted in a biology course that was academically challenging and enjoyable for students. (ZWH)

A study of elementary school foreign language programs in eight states yielded information about the status and design of language immersion, revitalized foreign language in the elementary schools (FLES), and foreign language experience (FLEX) programs. Immersion programs consist of the usual curriculum content presented entirely in a second…

This paper uses inquiry-based learning to introduce primary students to the concepts and terminology found in four introductory engineering courses: Differential Equations, Circuit Analysis, Thermodynamics, and Dynamics. Simple electronic sensors coupled with everyday objects, such as a troll doll, demonstrate and reinforce the physical principles…

The three initial issues of the National Network for Early Language Learning's newsletter describe the publication's format and objectives and present articles on issues of interest to teachers of foreign languages in the elementary school (FLES). Article topics include: general and specific teaching methods, including immersion and content-area…