Because various definitions of inquiry exist in the science education literature and in classroom practice, elementary science methods students and instructors face dilemmas during the study of inquiry. Using field notes, instructor anecdotal notes, student products, and course artifacts, science methods course instructors created fictional…

This study examined relationships between conceptual understanding, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy beliefs as preservice teachers learned science in a constructivist-oriented methods class. Participants included 49 preservice elementary teachers. Analysis revealed that participants increased in self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, and…

Science for Elementary Educators is a multidisciplinary, interactive learning course developed for the science instruction of childhood education majors. The course described here is a model for science education reform that requires relatively few resources, making it ideal for adoption at any institution. (Contains 4 figures.)

This study examines the beliefs of K-8 preservice teachers during a content methods course. The goals of this course included exposing the preservice teachers to student-centered instructional methods for math and science and encouraging the development of lessons that would integrate mathematics and science. Prior research suggested that one must…

With an increased emphasis on incorporating technology-based instruction into K-12 classrooms and an expectation that teachers will use technology to support their teaching, teacher educators are continuously challenged to prepare K-12 teachers to use new and emerging technologies effectively for learning and teaching (Ross & Wiseman, 2001).…

The need for an engaged, informed citizenry is central to the dream of democracy by Thomas Jefferson. The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) places citizenship education "at the heart of social studies" and suggests that social studies teachers must prepare students to develop a "reasoned commitment to fundamental values, such as life,…

This paper reports the results of a study conducted by the instructor of a pre-service mathematics methods course for the purpose of improving her teaching practice and course design. Novice teachers who graduated from the course were questioned about their math anxiety levels and use of approaches and strategies in their own math programs. They…

The objective of this study was to examine the nature of preservice teachers' evaluations of elementary mathematics problems using the Mathematical Tasks Framework (MTF), a model designed to discriminate among tasks according to their cognitive complexity. We also tested the relationship between mathematics content knowledge and problem length on…

The purpose of this study was to describe elementary preservice teachers' difficulties with understanding algebraic generalizations that were set in an authentic context. Fifty-eight preservice teachers enrolled in an elementary mathematics methods course participated in the study. These students explored and practiced with authentic, hands-on…

Lack of confidence towards science is a major factor in the avoidance of teaching science at elementary school. This paper reports the results of a survey that asked 28 pre-service elementary teachers what they believed contributed to their confidence towards science and the teaching of science during a second year science unit where an holistic…

One of the greatest challenges regularly faced in the teaching of writing methods to preservice teachers is the students' lack of models for process writing. Students in methods courses most often come into the course with no experience with using process writing methods. Process writing is an approach that is very different from traditional…

This investigation traced changes in anxiety for teaching mathematics (ATM) among pre-service elementary school teachers (n=36) enrolled in a mathematics methods course by analyzing their weekly journal entries. Journal entries were coded for high level of ATM (ATM-high) or absence of ATM (ATM-absent) during the first class session, as well as…

This paper discusses "Doing Theory in the Methods Class: Focused Reflection," a chapter from the book "Whole Language Voices in Teacher Education" edited by Kathryn F. Whitmore and Yetta Goodman. The book chapter focuses on guided classroom reflection as a key element in the education of preservice teachers, exploring whether…

As a result of the new era in science education reform, professional associations in science such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) have developed science standards for grades K-12. This paper describes a model for utilizing the AAAS Project 2061 benchmarks for these standards in a science methods course. The course…

This study examined 65 preservice teachers' metaphors for describing roles of the mathematics teacher. Previous research suggested that metaphors for teaching typically ascribe three distinct roles of the teacher: teaching, assessing, and classroom management. The findings of this study reveal that student metaphors were not systematic across the…