The study aimed to identify the beliefs of female student-teachers regarding children's literature and its importance in developing language skills of first primary classes at Petra University of Jordan in light of specialization and academic year variables. The study sample comprised (64) female student-teachers of B. A level at the faculty of…

Children are naturally inquisitive and want to explore and investigate; in doing so they make sense of the world around them. Piaget (Pound, 2006) suggests children make sense by themselves, by making choices and taking opportunities. Through exploration and investigation they also make sense of themselves through sensory, firsthand experiences.…

Within teacher education, there is ongoing debate about the nature and extent of the propositional and conceptual knowledge that teachers need. In this paper we interrogate the learning tasks detailed in six learning modules offered in a formal qualification for South African Foundation Phase (grade R-3) teachers. Our purpose is to analyse to what…

This qualitative study presents examples of information about and analysis of stories of children and the early childhood teacher education students working with them. The data from the stories problematize the neocolonial roots of our conceptions of children and families, particularly institutional systems, pedagogies, assessments, and daily life…

Background: Research in higher education on the effects of student-centred versus lecture-based learning environments generally does not take into account the psychological need support provided in these learning environments. From a self-determination theory perspective, need support is important to study because it has been associated with…

The aim of this article is to describe how field studies can be useful in teacher education. While participating in a specialty area called "Play, learning and development," student teachers collected data about their own and young children's experience and perception of the outdoor environment. They observed, carried out interviews from…

The aim of this study is to explore whether there is a difference between the student teachers' opinions about in-class teaching skills before and after applying micro-teaching. This study was carried out with the participation of second-year students of the Child Development Program of a Vocational School in the fall term of 2005-2006 academic…

Indicators of the proficiency of teacher candidates at applying knowledge of child development to teaching and learning were examined to see if they predict the overall success of the candidates full-time student teaching. The assessment instrument, the Full-Time Student Teaching Summary Report (FSTSR), was found statistically reliable and…

A teaching method may not work for all students. Therefore, attention should be paid to the type of students entering the learning environment in order to explain how they perceive the learning environment and achieve. This study investigates students' perceptions and achievement in four learning environments that differed in the degree to which…

The aim of this study is to explore whether there is a difference between the student teachers' opinions about in-class teaching skills before and after applying micro-teaching. This study was carried out with the participation of second-year students of the Child Development Program of a Vocational School in the full term of 2005-2006 academic…

This captivating book illuminates our understanding of how young children develop gender identities. A two year longitudinal research project on children's own understandings of gender casts new light on how 3 and 4 year old newcomers in early years classes learn rules for gendered behaviour from older children, in their imaginative and…

This study investigates the effects of student teachers' hands-on experience with evaluation on their preferences for assessment methods. A course on child development within the 1st year of the elementary teacher education program provides the quasi-experimental learning/teaching setting. Five research conditions are linked to four assessment…

There has been a growing emphasis in recent years on inter-agency working in respect of the care and development of children. This is of particular relevance when considering the needs of children with special educational needs (SEN). Teachers and healthcare professionals are two groups who need to have a clear understanding of the meaning and…

The present study investigated the strengths and areas of improvement for elementary music teacher preparation from the perspective of multiple members of a single body of music teachers. Subjects for the study were elementary music teachers from an urban school district in the southern United States. All elementary music teachers in the school…

Preparing early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) professionals to work with young children with and without disabilities entails the acquisition of content, its application, and opportunities for reflection. This article describes a component of an ECSE assessment course focusing on the logistics and process…