Mathematics is often taught by lecturing students on how to perform procedures, but it could be taught in ways that promote active student engagement and develop deep conceptual understanding. Research supports the latter approach as better for students' retention, engagement, and success with learning mathematics. An important time to influence…

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the relationship between North Carolina pre-service music teachers' perceived preparedness to teach online, Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) score, and online pedagogy instruction included in methods classes. An online survey was emailed to members of the North Carolina…

Algebraic thinking is an essential component of the K-12 mathematics curriculum. Early algebra focuses on the overall numeric structure (Kaput, 2008; Kieran,2018; Kieran et al., 2016) which focuses on the noticing of arithmetic patterns leading to generalizations supported by justification, reasoning and justifications (Blanton, 2008; Blanton et…

The purpose of this convergent mixed methods study was to explore how an undergraduate educational technology course impacts preservice teachers' TPACK knowledge and how it affects the development of their technology integration repertoire. A total of 14 preservice teachers enrolled in a face-to-face section of an educational technology course in…

Geography education research has identified several concerns in geography education and recognizes several systemic and cyclical issues which serve to impede effective implementation of geography education. A pattern to be recognized in the review of literature is the consistent communicated concerns of ill-prepared geography teachers.…

During university-based programs that prepare K-12 teachers, candidates traditionally participate in course work that discusses educational theory and application related to the future teacher's chosen population (based on age range and subject areas). Traditional methods courses cover the pedagogy related to a single, specific content area, or…

Scientific modeling is a scientific practice that uses models to prepare elementary and middle school science teachers to engage students using scientific inquiry. Model-based inquiry (MBI) is a pedagogical teaching approach that engages students using scientific inquiry during scientific modeling. However, preservice teachers lack understanding…

The purpose of this study was to explore four elementary preservice teachers' (PSTs) learning outcomes based on "affective characteristics," "science knowledge," and "pedagogical content knowledge" during a science methods course that incorporated "explicit instruction on drawing-to-reason" about…

Background: English language learners (ELLs) are dramatically increasing in U.S. schools: by 2025, 25% of public school students will be ELLs (NEA, 2018). In one teacher education program in the Southeastern U.S., all students earning teacher certification must complete a course in second language methodology. This study seeks to understand…

Mary Kennedy (1999) introduced the problem of enactment to describe how novice teachers often struggle to put what they have learned in coursework into practice in the field. One approach to this problem is to put practice at the center of teacher education by specifying core practices of teaching around which to structure novices' learning…

The development of scientifically literate citizens begins in the elementary school. Yet elementary school teachers are ill prepared to teach science (Trygstad, Smith, Banilower, Nelson, & Horizon Research, Inc., 2013). The research base on teacher preparation finds that programs designed to prepare elementary teachers are inadequate in…

Leading a whole-class discussion is a complex and critical skill, and pivotal to learning and achievement. Classroom teachers have been challenged to engage students in meaningful dialogue, and successfully meet educational standards and requirements. Teacher education programs are responsible for preparing future candidates--preservice…

This study applied the researcher-constructed Integrated Triadic Model (ITM) to an elementary social studies teaching methods course and measured the extent that preservice teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) changed throughout the semester. The study also gathered preservice teachers' beliefs about the…

This study, situated within the fields of English education and writing teacher education, illustrates not only "what" is happening in writing methods courses but why in its examination of writing methods courses and instructor influences. The writing methods course is identified by English educators and writing teacher educators as…

This dissertation research examines a teacher educator's instructional practices and preservice teachers' learning in two elementary social studies methods courses. As self-study, it focuses on learning to teach preservice teachers how to select and use visual images to teacher history and social studies. The research uses the Grossman Framework…