Background: Much of the research related to Teach For America (TFA) is related to the concerns surrounding whether such teachers should assume primary teaching responsibility and whether alternatively certified teachers are effective in the classroom. This research study takes a different approach and moves the conversation into a new domain of…

NCLB requires states to provide highly qualified educators for all students. Highly qualified educators should have content knowledge in the areas they teach and the pedagogical expertise to produce student educational gains. In this study, researchers examined the effects of an online mathematics methods class on preservice teachers' knowledge of…

The Roosevelt University College of Education conducted two studies to reevaluate its preservice course content and the effectiveness of its program in light of PL 94-142. Results are summarized in this article, one of seven in this issue describing Dean's Grant programs for preservice training in PL 94-142. (SJL)

Several surveys of students enrolled in elementary school mathematics methods courses provided the background for a pilot study of attitudes on teaching elementary mathematics. In a discussion of the literature on the subject, the importance of teachers' attitudes and their influence on children's attitudes is stressed. Two exploratory studies of…

Foreign-language methodology courses do not generally provide potential teachers with sufficient criteria for judging either the most reasonable format or the probable cost/labor effectiveness of media materials which could be used to advantage in their classes. Opportunities for practical application of the student's knowledge, particularly where…

This study sought to determine how the English methods course is taught in Maryland colleges and to evaluate its effectiveness in preparing undergraduate English majors for their first years of teaching in Maryland schools. Questionnaires were completed by one methods teacher at each of 12 Maryland colleges, by one supervisor of beginning English…

This study sought to determine if changes occur in preservice students' self-concepts during the quarter they are enrolled in an elementary education methods course. Subjects were 24 elementary education majors in their junior or senior year prior to student teaching. Pre- and post-testing instruments were the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale…

Evaluations of three English methodology courses at Bradley University, Illinois, were made to determine which course or combination of courses was most effective in preparing the student to teach English in the secondary school. Questionnaires completed by Bradley graduates teaching English in secondary schools indicated that none of the three…

Perceptions of 242 graduates of the Division of Education program at Indiana University at South Bend were studied. Bachelors' and masters' level graduates who received their degrees during 1970-1983 were mailed opinionaires to determine the following information: respondents' employment status and their opinions regarding courses/topics in…

Constructs underlying student ratings of instruction in an introductory master's level educational research course were investigated in order to gain a better understanding of instructor behaviors that facilitate student success. During academic years 1990-91 and 1991-92, an institutionally developed scale was administered to students enrolled in…