Science teacher educators (STEs) have key roles in the educational system through their preparation of pre- and in-service science teachers and in implementing future-oriented policy reforms. Given the complexity and importance of their role, what types of knowledge do STEs need? STEs come from a range of backgrounds and there are few systematic…

This article provides the author's comments on the studies by Tom Russell, David Dillon, Shawn Bullock, Lynn Thomas, and Andrea Martin which are reported in this issue of "Studying Teacher Education." Here Stefinee Pinnegar reflects on the intractable conundrums of teacher education and teachers educators that she felt was her…

This paper analyzes the pedagogical studies of Finnish and South Korean physics teacher education programs that guide teacher educators to support student teachers' to build readiness for acting as professional teachers in a secondary school classroom. Research on the domains and origin of teachers' professional knowledge provides a framework for…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure preservice teachers' knowledge of instructional tasks for teaching three manipulative skills in elementary physical education. Method: Data were collected to measure preservice teachers' entry and exit knowledge of instructional tasks that require selecting developmentally and sequentially…

In this paper, we argue from principle that teacher education must enable a positive relationship between educational research and teaching knowledge and practice. We discuss two popular conceptions of good teaching, which conceive of the teacher as craft worker and as executive technician, and suggest that, while each of these aspects of knowing…

This paper analyzed elementary teacher education (hereafter 'TED') programs in the top performing European (TIMSS) countries to help inform future elementary TED policy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methodological emphasis revolved around how much emphasis should be placed on general content knowledge (GCK), as opposed to general pedagogical…

This article argues that research on teacher preparation over the last 100 years can be understood in terms of the major questions that researchers examined. The analysis is guided by the framework of "research as historically situated social practice," which emphasizes that researchers' interests, commitments, and social experiences…

This article presents the results of a comparative study of the content in selected teacher education programmes for primary and lower secondary teachers in Canada, Denmark, Finland and Singapore. First and foremost, the study is a comparison between teacher education programmes in, on the one hand, Canada, Finland and Singapore, all of which…

This paper deals with a crucial topic: which factors influence the sustainability and scale-up of a professional development programme's impact? Theoretical models and empirical findings from impact research (e.g. Zehetmeier and Krainer, "ZDM Int J Math" 43(6/7):875-887, 2011) and innovation research (e.g. Cobb and Smith,…

Following entry into the workforce, there are limited opportunities for new graduate teachers to engage in critically reflective activities about their educative practice. In an increasingly complex and challenging profession, the need for teachers, administrators and school systems to become involved in professional development activities is ever…

A comprehensive research review carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Ministry of Education in 2008 concluded that the competence to establish and maintain good teacher-student relations is a central and important one for a teacher in today's schools. Together with teaching competence and classroom management competence, other competencies that…

Teacher education as a field of study has steadily grown since the press for an identifiable knowledge base first appeared in the 1970s. Almost simultaneously, calls for teacher education reform abounded and have, for more than 40 years, existed alongside the development of research in teacher education. However, these longstanding teacher…

Certain common elements can be identified regarding teacher education development in advanced knowledge-based economies. One of these is the attempt, up until relatively recently, to develop a solid foundation of scientific professional knowledge for what Basil Bernstein called the teacher education "Trivium": roughly speaking,…

Prospective teachers are often found to have difficulty focusing their attention on students in sustained and constructive ways. Instead, in what is sometimes understood as a developmental matter, beginners may seem highly concerned with their own feelings and needs. This article offers a contrary finding. It examines two cases of prospective…

In the United States, about one third of new teachers being hired are drawn from alternative certification programs. One way to address controversy about the differences among the training experiences of teachers in traditional certification programs, fast-track alternative programs, and residency alternative programs is to examine teacher reports…