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,…

This study sought to explore what sort of relationships exist between students' number sense and their problem solving ability, and the contribution of the teacher's teaching style and the students' learning style towards students' performance in these two respective areas. The problem solving ability and number sense proficiency of three classes…

The future of physical education (PE) depends on the quality of emerging committed professionals and their ability to teach across the different activity areas contained within the National Curriculum for Physical Education (NCPE). It is a role that requires extensive subject knowledge and perceived competence in the ability to use it effectively.…

In this article, the authors provide their critique on a set of papers that investigated Mathematics Knowledge for Teachers (MKT) assessment and the underlying theory and characteristics of the validity enterprise. Three types of assumptions and inferences--elemental, structural, and ecological--are discussed in these papers. These assumptions…

In this issue of Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives, Schilling et al. are explicit about the centrality of assessment design and development and psychometric analysis in validation. Schilling and colleagues, Kane (2004, 2006), other contemporary validity theorists and practitioners, and their predecessors typically discuss…

Background: The goal of the pedagogical content course is to teach how to make mathematics education better through the use of different teaching methods, and techniques. By learning the different teaching methods, future teachers will be able to apply their learning into the teaching. Aims: The aim of this exploratory study is to note and discuss…

This article discusses reasons for explicit pronunciation instruction, despite the continued neglect of this area in the communicative classroom. "ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (2002)" and "Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century" (National Standards, 1999) dictate that teachers…

Using a case study research strategy of data collection, the empirical component of the study presented in this paper is aimed at exploring the interplay between content knowledge and pedagogy when information and communication technologies (ICT) are used by a number of secondary school mathematics teachers. An orienting framework advanced as a…

To advance understanding of the issues concerning teachers' working conditions, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario commissioned one of the authors to do an analytical review of literature on teachers' working conditions. This resulted in the publication, "Teacher Working Conditions That Matter: Evidence for Change." The…