This study examined the experiences of elementary education teacher candidates in a servicelearning literacy methods course in which they were placed in two public school settings-- one urban elementary school and one urban laboratory school. This was teacher candidates initial field experience in elementary classrooms. Teacher candidates explored…

This research explores the experience of 81 elementary pre-service teachers who transcribed their microteaching lessons during a university mathematical methods course. Pre-service teachers were required to plan and teach mathematics lessons. They audio-recorded their teaching, transcribed the recordings, wrote guided reflections, and conversed…

Only about half of new teachers report that they feel prepared to teach reading when they enter the profession. This research study focused on six elementary teacher candidates enrolled in a reading methods course combined with a reading practicum. The teacher candidates participated in an ongoing collaborative community discussion group…

In this paper, the author discusses the major components of a junior level pedagogy course for elementary education majors learning to teach mathematics. The course reviews content and knowledge of the teacher candidates and introduces methods and materials for teaching elementary mathematics using the Standards or benchmarks from the National…

This study used interviews; observations of methods, course meetings, and field experiences; and audiotapes of weekly reflection sessions. Data analysis indicated that preservice teachers made managerial decisions, planned lesson content, considered children's prior learning, and connected their choice of words to children's perspectives but did…

Investigates preservice elementary teachers' theories about science teaching and learning through their reflections on integrated media case-based instruction. Constructs a profile of the teachers' images of themselves as future science teachers. Contains 43 references. (DDR)

Examined preservice teachers' journeys toward becoming reflective professionals within the context of a reading/language-arts methods course and elementary field experience. Observations, journals, surveys, and interviews indicated that participants' behaviors were grouped into three categories: questioning as a way of learning, constructing a…

The preservice teachers who participated in this study were first semester seniors in a Social Studies Methods class. The study took place in the second year of a university/public school partnership program between the elementary education faculty at Indiana University South Bend and teachers at six schools within the South Bend Community School…

Studies four preservice elementary teachers during a field-based mathematics methods course to investigate elements of mathematics teaching and learning that teachers found problematic and how they resolved those problems. Concluded that teachers exhibited concerns about classroom context, pedagogy of mathematics, children's mathematical thinking,…

Compares the way preservice elementary teachers build knowledge and beliefs to the way learners build science knowledge. Describes a reconceptualization of an elementary science methods course consistent with this assumption about science teaching. Contains 22 references. (DDR)

The case study reported here describes two student teachers' thinking related to emergent issues during their first field placement for a course exploring elementary reading instruction. The students submitted journals, lesson plans, portfolios, field notes, and discussion group reflections. Data analysis indicated the students had very different…

The goal of teacher education is to prepare prospective teachers to become reflective practitioners who are able to make pedagogical decisions in light of sound theory. This report describes a model for integrating science and mathematics methods with student teaching. Efforts to maintain a critical bond between theory and practice is one…

This paper describes an intervention which was designed to: (1) provide opportunities for preservice teachers to collaborate with and network with inservice teachers; (2) create an environment which facilitated collaboration and interaction among early childhood, elementary, and special education majors; and (3) model collaborative teaching and…

Describes how seven teacher educators and an outside consultant used action research as a framework to develop and implement a collaborative interdisciplinary methods course for preservice elementary educators. The article documents their struggles to develop curriculum and implement different teaching methods. (SM)

This study was conducted to determine the extent to which writing to learn and reflective teaching within an interdisciplinary elementary methods course gave undergraduates the opportunity to change their perspective from student to teacher. Participants were 31 preservice elementary education majors enrolled in a one semester interdisciplinary…