This article explores and examines the social studies content knowledge that preservice teachers have about commonly studies historical figures. The data indicate that preservice teachers often have shallow and decontextualized understandings of historical individuals such as Christopher Columbus and Helen Keller, despite their being repeatedly…

The issue of attracting more young people to choose careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has become critical for the United States. Recent studies by businesses, associations, and education have all agreed that the United States' performance in the STEM disciplines have placed the nation in grave risk of…

This study explores the outcomes of a potentially powerful multicultural pedagogy---the use of multicultural narratives in teacher education. Participants were 22 preservice teachers enrolled in a required, semester-long, foundation course at a liberal arts public university in middle Georgia. Data sources include responses to ten classroom- or…

This study aims to establish a viable structural model of prospective science teachers' nature of science (NOS) views, which could be used as an analytical tool for understanding the complex relationships between prospective teachers' conceptions of NOS and factors possibly affecting their conceptions. In order to construct such a model, likely…

The author presents findings from the first phase of a longitudinal, comparative case study that investigates what teachers learn about intellectually demanding social studies teaching at the middle school level from two distinctive teacher education pathways: a specialized middle school teacher education program and a secondary social studies…

This study sought to determine to what extent seasoned educators' perceived confidence, competence, and resultant content-specific self-efficacy could be altered as a result of three different workshops geared toward the use of technology in social studies classrooms. Through analyses of pre- and post-test surveys, results indicated that…

The content coursework of preservice secondary mathematics teachers (PSMTs) is a current topic of concern in both the mathematics and education fields. There is a need to determine the knowledge and dispositions necessary to teach secondary mathematics and how coursework can help PSMTs develop the appropriate knowledge and dispositions. In…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what aspects of two first-year elementary teachers' practices were most consistent with an inquiry-based approach, what PCK served as a mechanism for facilitating these practices, and what experiences have mediated the nature and development of these teachers' PCK. For each of the…

This paper is a user-friendly manual designed to minimize the growing pains associated with college-level teaching. Specific topics include syllabus development, classroom teaching methods, proper use of the initial class session, and advice related to answering student questions. Many new and adjunct instructors are met with unexpected challenges…

An adapted version of the "Teacher/Staff Skillstreaming Checklist" was used to determine the level, type, and area of social skills instruction provided to general and special education teachers. Nine universities participated in the study in which facilitators advertised the adapted questionnaire to licensed general and special education teachers…

This paper reports on the knowledge for teaching mathematics of 294 pre-service primary teachers from seven Australian universities participating in a project aimed at establishing a culture of evidence-based improvement of teacher education. The project was funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Rasch measurement techniques were…

Background: Cumulatively, research indicates that teachers who are emotionally supportive and create positive classroom climates influence the outcomes of at-risk students in nontrivial ways. Prior research has also established that teacher behaviors that support autonomy, provide higher level thinking opportunities, and value students' social and…

A professional development experience for science and mathematics teachers that included coaches was provided for ten science and math teachers. This professional development experience had the teachers develop a lesson that utilized the engineering context to teach a science or mathematics concept through guided inquiry as an instructional…

We examine the experiences of five teachers who traveled with a team of educators, scientists, and explorers on circumpolar Arctic expeditions to deliver adventure learning (AL) programs to K-12 students at a distance. Results highlight the personal and professional impacts this opportunity had on teachers, including their empowering, fulfilling,…

An overview is presented of a three-year project aimed at helping Chinese language teachers in Taiwan refine ways that Chinese, an ideographic language that differs markedly from alphabetic English, is taught in primary schools. Guided by university staff in Taiwan, Hong Kong University and a Taiwanese non-government social enterprise, 20…