The knowledge teachers in an elementary school had of constructivist principles in the context of standards-based teaching and assessment was investigated and then addressed through a graduate-level course developed by the researcher. The knowledge level of the teachers was studied through interviews, classroom observations, and responses of 46…

The mission of an effective mentoring program for beginning teachers is critical to their successful professional development. In order to successfully prepare veteran teachers for the role of mentor to beginning teachers, a combination of cognitive coaching and Pathwise Performance Assessment (PPA) is suggested. Included in such a staff…

This book shows educators how to rethink teaching by challenging their beliefs about knowledge and learning. It helps teachers organize for student learning rather than plan for teacher telling by applying constructivist learning theory in the classroom. It presents a constructivist perspective on how to arrange classroom events for student…

An earlier study compared the communication styles of African Americans and European Americans (Banks, 2000). Its purpose was to contribute to that body of literature by addressing some of the limitations of the extant research (e.g., by controlling for variables and by grounding the research in the framework of a theoretical perspective). The…

This paper provides guidelines for creating REALs (Rich Environments for Active Learning) on the World Wide Web and demonstrates how those guidelines have been applied in a variety of Web-based learning environment contexts. The paper is organized according to the following attributes of student-centered REALs: (1) promote intentional learning by…

This paper presents an overview of World Wide Web-enabled databases that dynamically generate Web materials and focuses on the use of this technology to support collaboration, knowledge construction, and communication. Database applications have been used in classrooms to support learning activities for over a decade, but, although business and…

This paper presents a study investigating K-8 preservice teachers' attitudes towards science in a technology-based science content course. The study was conducted in a learning environment in which hands-on science, educational technology, collaboration, and constructivism were promoted. Results suggest that using technology in classroom teaching…

This study investigates the changes in junior high school (JHS) students' conceptions of the structure of matter as they study the subject of "materials" using a new curriculum in Science and Technology. The new instructional method is based on a student-centered constructivistic model and on a "spiral" approach to the learning…

This research examines the critical factors in a science/math methods course and its effect on the dispositions of preservice elementary education majors. In order to break the cyclical axiom that "teachers teach as they were taught," this study used a paired-t test design to indicate any significance. The preservice education majors indicated…

This paper supports the idea that teacher preparation programs must create reflective, field-based opportunities that help preservice teachers make connections between educational philosophies and classroom practices. It uses first-hand experiences from one class to introduce the subject matter. The paper discusses the trouble that preservice…

Rural teachers are often undertrained in the identification and education of gifted students. This paper describes the principles and development of an online introductory course in gifted education that could meet the need for rural teacher training. Using the philosophy that learners construct their own knowing, the system for developing an…

This paper explains the use in teacher preparation of a psychoanalytical tool called the repertory grid, examining how the grid has been successfully integrated into physical education teacher preparation courses. Within the process reported here, student teachers engaged in semi-autobiographical reflection on the roots of their personal beliefs…

This paper reports findings from a research project investigating teachers' construction of knowledge for teacher education and focuses on what teacher educators learn in their relationship with school-based practitioners. The research continues a study of professional partnerships in teacher education. Participants at a workshop included four…

An instrument to evaluate the effectiveness of constructivist teaching methods, the Constructivist Teaching Inventory (CTI), was developed and assessed, the assessment focusing on the validity and reliability of the instrument. A pool of items measuring the presence of identified elements of constructivist teaching was developed; items were…

This paper reviews the historical antecedents and theoretical foundation for a constructivist approach to teaching and learning. One neglected characteristic of constructivism apparent in the professional literature is the need to better understand that human relationships in the classroom are often pivotal in helping students construct knowledge.…