Studies the ways in which three graduate students applied theoretical and pedagogical tools in a collaborative independent study course. Concludes that the students' use of research tools was more consistent with the teacher's understanding of profitable uses than was their appropriation of the conceptual tools advanced in the course readings. (TB)

Reports on a study that aimed to develop teaching cases for instrumental music education methods courses through analysis of current teaching practice. Using a case study design based on four experienced instrumental music teachers, the study documented daily interactions, decision-making skills, and use of pedagogical knowledge. Offers research…

Describes "the world of the work" as the state of affairs an artist projects, including what is suggested and inferred as well as what is represented directly. Discusses how teaching "the world of the work" concept to preservice art teachers enables them to access the representational content of artworks. (CMK)

Focuses on how teacher educators can promote information literacy in social studies methods courses. Discusses topics searching and researching as a key to information literacy, antidotes for plagiarism, the use of databases, spreadsheets, and word processing, and transferring files over the Internet. (CMK)

Describes a unit used in a social studies methods course. In-service teachers created murals in which a watershed (its landforms and the movement of water upon it) is used as a metaphor for one's cultural identity and life course. Explains that it can be adapted for elementary and secondary students. (CMK)

Explores whether the issue of computing technology is included in social studies methods textbooks and to what detail. Discusses how computer technology can be included in social studies instruction and particularly in methods courses. Includes a supplemental bibliography of related readings. (CMK)

The purpose of this study was to describe salient aspects of pedagogical content knowledge that preservice physical education teachers acquired and found problematic while learning a specific skill theme approach (Graham, Holt/Hale, & Parker, 1993) to teaching elementary physical education during their field-based methods course. The participants…

This study examined the difficulties and factors that led to understanding the learning cycle teaching strategy. Participants included 83 preservice elementary teachers (PTs) enrolled in multiple sections of a science methods course taught by the same professor, one of the authors of this study. Analysis revealed that there were four categories of…

This article is concerned with the different ways in which teacher education pedagogic discourse is structured, and the potential of different types of structure to successfully induct student teachers as effective practitioners. The article uses Bernstein's concepts of classification and framing as axes of variation in describing different types…

Despite the apparent lack of universally accepted goals or objectives for elementary science methods courses, teacher educators nationally are autonomously designing these classes to prepare prospective teachers to teach science. It is unclear, however, whether science methods courses are preparing teachers to teach science effectively or to…

We examined the beliefs about science teaching and learning held by elementary preservice teachers in a science methods course, comparing students who had experienced an inquiry-based physics course with those who had not. Students who had taken the physics course prior to the methods semester were better equipped to recognize and learn from…

In this paper I examine the phenomenon of university teachers as researchers in their own classrooms. I use examples of three research teams in which we studied: (1) student response to a science and society course; (2) teacher and student perceptions of inquiry in a physics course; and (3) teaching and learning about the nature of science in an…

This article outlines the use of the online "SpeakEasy" communication package in two sections of a mathematics methods course in an elementary education teacher certification program. The instructional uses of "SpeakEasy" are described, with specific attention to the manner in which it was woven into the fabric of the course and made central to…

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).…