This study examined preservice teachers' understanding of, and processes when, designing instruction. Participants were 47 juniors and seniors enrolled in science methods courses. Qualitative methods and analysis of written reflections and interviews revealed the beliefs and views the preservice teachers had about planning. Findings are as…

A learning community can play an important role in facilitating student learning in a class and this is especially evident for distance learning courses. Creating a learning community that is virtual requires the use of online communication tools such as email, threaded discussion boards, and chat rooms. Many online students also benefit through…

This study examines how social studies preservice teachers use pedagogical and technological applications and skills employed during their teacher education program, specifically the methods block. Data were collected from the methods course experience through student teaching and then through case study research with first-year teachers. Results…

Four African American teacher-researcher-participants contributed to this self-reflective autobiographical, narrative analysis of learning to teach, becoming certified, and teaching. Each participant reflected on her educational stories of experience, as all four were educated on White university campuses and transitioned to teaching in…

This study explored the perspectives of a group of teacher educators of color in an effort to capture their perceptions of teaching and teacher education. The purpose of the study was to find out what teacher educators of color bring to their work and to the teaching profession--what are their experiences, goals, intentions, passions, challenges…

As more children with disabilities are served in early childhood settings, preservice training programs have a responsibility to provide future early childhood educators with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to actively participate as a team member in meeting the needs of young children with disabilities. This article provides a description…

Teachers' ratings of children's competencies may in part reflect characteristics and perspectives of teachers who assigned the ratings, which compromises their validity as a measure of child attributes. The purposes of this study were to use multilevel modeling to (a) estimate between-rater variance in teachers' ratings of children's social…

This qualitative study describes the differences in the lived experiences of two elementary teachers and the impact these differences have had on their beliefs and practices as teachers of science. Although both teachers experienced traditional, textbook-driven science instruction as students in schools, their experiences with science outside of…

The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge level (general, etiology, assessment, treatment) of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD) of principles, regular education teachers, and special education teachers in the First Educational District in Northeast Tennessee. The study further the amount of instruction on ADHD/ADD…

This paper reports on a study of teachers involved in a collaborative model of clinical supervision. Study participants were interviewed in order to ascertain their perceptions of their collaborative relationship and the focus and effect of their collaboration. The study found that the most effective collaborations were characterized by…

This study assessed the relationship between teacher efficacy and teacher conceptual level, teacher empowerment, and school culture. Teacher participants (N=430) were primarily Caucasian females who taught in grades K-12, with the majority at the elementary (83 percent) or middle school (11 percent) level. They were evenly represented in the…

In this book's essays, teachers describe and reflect on the practice of experiential education in elementary, secondary, college, and outdoor settings. Major themes of these narratives include the insider's view of the teaching experience; active learning that requires student autonomy, imagination, and responsibility; and the view of experience…

This study examined the relationship between years of teaching experience and teacher specialty area in terms of formulation of vocational objectives in transition planning. Descriptive and inferential data were gathered from 43 secondary special education teachers concerning 393 student transition plans. Results indicated that teaching experience…

This paper reports on the feedback obtained from Ohio public school teachers who supervised the Creating Active and Reflective Educators (CARE) program students, initially called the Teacher Education for Civic Responsibility (TECR) program, during its first 4 years, from 1989-1993. The first group of 11 students were accepted into TECR in 1989;…

The expansion of field-based preparation for teachers in recent years has been driven by several factors. The satisfaction of university students and instructors participating in site-based instruction and the encouragement of local schools seeking reform themselves have refueled this expansion. In a site-based course, preservice teachers provide…