In this paper, we address the issue of how teachers select primary and secondary texts for classroom use by focusing on two New York state middle school history teachers. Our field studies show that, although they teach diverse groups of students, each teacher chooses a wide variety of sources to develop classroom units and test preparation…

This article draws upon writings by social studies educators and historians to articulate a new approach to training history teachers. We argue that the divide between advocates of historical thinking and of historical content can be overcome through a better understanding of what it means to know history. By examining the nature of the historical…

Recently, investigators have begun to pay increasing attention to the role of teachers' domain-specific knowledge in the area of reading, and its implications for both classroom practice and student learning. The aims of the present study were to assess kindergarten to third grade teachers' actual and perceived reading related subject matter…

The basis of this paper concerns a one-and-a-half year in-service training program ("In-service Training for Physics Teachers"; 40 ECTS credits) for physics teachers (Grades 7-12, n = 98) designed to enhance both their subject knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. The role of laboratory experiments in physics education in particular was…

Examined the practice of experienced teacher induction leaders and mentor-new teacher pairs to determine what mentors needed to know and be able to do to sharpen new teachers' focus on individual student learning and growth. Results found that mentors were able to focus new teachers on individual student learning, particularly among…

The challenges facing those who seek to prepare mathematics teachers are well established in the literature. Most of the research to date has focused on the perceptions and understandings of pre-service teachers, but not on the perceptions and understandings of teacher educators. In this study, we explore how four teacher educators understand…

The National Science Education Standards (National Research Council 1996, "National science education standards." Washington, DC: National Academy Press) and various other national and state documents call for teachers who possess science content knowledge, employ an inquiry approach in teaching, and engage in reflective practices. This paper…

Two hundred forty-two principals in secondary schools completed an opinion survey concerning the perceived causes of teacher ineffectiveness. The most frequently perceived causes were deficiencies in components of pedagogical knowledge--3 in-class components requiring student-teacher interaction (lesson-implementation skills, ability to establish…

There is considerable evidence that use of anthropomorphism and animism in science teaching is a common practice in all grades of education. However, not much is known about teachers' own views on the real reasons why they have been using animistic and anthropomorphic formulations or on the issue of whether animism and anthropomorphism should or…

The "pontes" (bridges) approach may be viewed as a teaching guide for action in music education. It may help music teachers to articulate the different aspects that surround the teaching-learning process, especially those related to cultural interfaces, such as: the student's personal characteristics, the elements and essence of the…

In this paper, the author presents a study which explored K-8 preservice teachers' concept images and mathematical definitions of polygons. This study was carried out in which K-8 teacher candidates enrolled in an elementary mathematics content course were asked to sort, identify, and provide definitions of such shapes including triangles,…

Teachers aren't doctors. Unlicensed educators generally prove quite satisfactory, and, in any case, their certification should not be vested solely in Ed Schools. There is no reason why a math department shouldn't train and authorize math teachers, writes Michael Podgursky, who wants us to do everything possible to lower the walls between academic…

A fifty million dollar grant program for history education was announced by the United States Department of Education in April 2001. To many in the profession it was almost inconceivable that the study of history would receive such generous funding. While historians were convinced of the merits of improved history education, they had to ask what…

Three key features of a proposed capstone mathematics course for the preparation of teachers at the secondary level are: 1) teacher candidates examine concepts from the curriculum at a deeper level in the context of rich problems; 2) they investigate common themes in the math curriculum, such as shape and change, then collaborate on and present…

Preparing early childhood (K-3) teachers to teach science presents special challenges for the science methods instructor. Early childhood preservice teachers typically come to the methods classroom with little science content knowledge; they also lack confidence in their own abilities to teach science. This paper presents a theoretical background,…