The main purpose of this study was to describe the development and use of a flowchart for preservice chemistry teachers' problem solving on the First Law of Thermodynamics. Twenty-seven undergraduate preservice chemistry teachers attending a Physical Chemistry course participated in this study. The responses of the participants to the set of test…

Large enrollments in undergraduate courses pose several teaching and learning challenges that impact students' learning experience and performance. Implementing co-learning activities in tutorials of large courses can help mitigate these challenges and improve the learning environment. One type of collaborative learning activity that has become…

On graduation, teacher candidates (TCs) are typically underprepared to teach science, particularly physical science, whereas physics graduates frequently lack training in teaching or effective communication. In response, we created two models for interdisciplinary peer learning where TCs were paired with either graduate or undergraduate physics…

Discrepant events are often used by science educators to incite interest and excitement in learners, yet sometimes their results are farther-reaching. The following article describes how one such event--dissolving packing peanuts in acetone--led to a change in the course of a college-level elementary science teaching methods class and to the…

Many undergraduates seeking elementary teaching certification are uncomfortable with or uninterested in science; however, these future teachers are charged with the responsibility of teaching science to young students. Hammer and Polnick surveyed science methods students at Sam Houston State University and found that only about half of them rated…

Presents tabulations of data from a questionnaire survey of English Colleges of Education. Data concern the position of biology as a component of courses for trainee teachers. (AL)

Description of an experience-oriented methods course in the biological sciences for prospective teachers at Syracuse University. Activities include observing and evaluating teaching experiences, designing biology laboratory experiments, developing test items and learning specific biological techniques. Bibliography. (LC)

Preservice teachers' success in a science lesson presentation was not significantly influenced by the number of science courses taken previously, the science topic chosen, or grade level selected for the presentation. (CP)

Describes a course, taught in Jamaica, for prospective high school physics teachers that stresses concepts which are difficult to teach and easily misunderstood by students. Also stresses preparing high school students to take national exams and teaching physics in poorly equipped laboratories. (MLH)

Considers teaching to be the synthesis of a body of knowledge and the art of presentation. Comments on the American science teacher education process, particularly at the graduate level. (CP)