Describes a mathematics content course in which observations are made by preservice elementary school teachers of actual classroom teachers. This course emphasizes these aspects of teacher education: attitudes towards mathematics, achievement and understanding of content, expectation levels of prospective teachers, and understanding of elementary…

Experience with materials developed by the Mathematics Teacher Education Project has shown that these resources of teaching methods and suggestions can be used to assist student teachers in their first field experience and in the final term as a means to coalesce and focus on specific teaching strategies. (FG)

Compared are elementary teacher methods courses differing in the amount of field experience with specific teaching behaviors involving the ability to teach activity-oriented or experiential science. Results include the finding that field experience effects a major difference in the ability to model specific teaching behaviors. (CS)

Outlines six classroom strategies used in a mainstreamed high school biology course and describes some of the changes Catholic University is making through a dean's grant to integrate preparation for mainstreaming into its preservice teacher education program. (SJL)

Describes current programs and practices in training of modern language teachers in Latin America on the basis of visits to institutions in several countries, interviews with instructors and students, and program description materials. Sees a need to develop communication and a sense of professional identity among the members of the profession.…

Reports results of a study investigating effects of alternative modes of science methods instruction on 90 preservice elementary teachers': (1) beliefs about science teaching; and (2) general attitudes toward teaching. Student performance on criterion measures was found to differ significantly in three different modes of science instruction. (CS)

This lecture, originally delivered to education majors in an introductory methods course, addresses ten concerns of teacher educators and students preparing to teach. They include student demands for practical theories, good teaching models, and course relevance, the value of educational research, and the meaning of course grades. (JMD)

Presents examples of how to implement and model authentic assessment for preservice teachers, describing the authentic assessment used in a preservice elementary mathematics methods course. The components of the assessment include reading and writing, examinations, discussions and observations, collection of students' work, and oral and visual…

Examines pre- and post-course surveys of responses to course objectives in seven literacy education categories for 166 undergraduate reading education preservice teachers enrolled in a reading methods/reading practicum block. Finds a direct relationship between pre-course motivation and end-of-course motivation for continued learning for six of…

Surveys all State Departments of Education to determine course requirements in reading for teachers seeking certification at the middle or high school levels. Finds that 47 states and the District of Columbia now require either specific coursework or have established a competency in reading methods for all or some of their middle and high school…

Examines social studies teachers educators' perceptions of character education selecting a sample of National Council for the Social Studies members (n=298). Focuses on perceptions of the common themes of character education, scope of character education, and inclusion of character education in methods courses. Includes references. (CMK)

Presents case studies of three Anglo American preservice teachers as they worked with children of color and/or poverty. Asks the preservice teachers to look within to explore their own literary backgrounds in a reading-autobiography assignment. Argues the combination of autobiographical accounts with reflective field experiences helps preservice…

Considers to what degree student teachers use principles and methods from their university-based methods class in their student teaching experiences. Explores the student teaching experience in secondary English through case studies of four students from the methods class. Reveals that the methods class and the methods professor matter, as do the…

Investigates the impact of a required secondary reading methods course on preservice teachers' attitudes regarding the need to teach reading skills to high school students. Finds that students' attitudes underwent significant changes during the course and that they became more aware of the need for teaching reading skills in the secondary program.…

Results are reported from a study designed to identify and describe the implementation and adaptation of content reading methods by six beginning secondary teachers. Findings indicate contextual constraints, as a result of competing demands and little support or reward, inhibit inservice application of preservice methods. (IAH)