To determine how college instructors evaluate student learning in their reading methods course, a questionnaire was administered to 15 instructors of elementary, and 11 instructors of secondary, reading methods courses. The instrument was divided into five sections for the purpose of collecting the following data: (1) course design and components…

This research study was designed to assess preservice elementary education teachers' knowledge of world geography. The "High School Subject Tests: World Geography," developed by Scott, Foresman and Company for use with high school students, was administered to 124 undergraduate elementary education majors enrolled in social studies…

Current literature on social studies methods courses for secondary education teachers focuses on rationales, quantitative data, criticism, and innovations. Although social studies methods courses are highly criticized, a paucity of literature exists on the rationale for the course, most of which calls for increased conceptualization. In contrast,…

Findings are reported from two descriptive studies of preservice teacher education students' conceptual change in response to reading methods instruction. The first study, involving 14 preservice teachers, focused on how students applied what was taught in the reading methods course; the second study (14 participants) examined students' conceptual…

A 40-item questionnaire was used to collect data in a study that (1) profiled speech communication education graduates of Arkansas colleges and universities from 1975 through 1980, (2) characterized their teaching positions during this time, and (3) determined the nature, effectiveness, and value of the speech communication methods course they…

This inquiry was conducted to determine whether an early field experience influences the academic achievement of teaching candidates in subsequent teaching methods coursework. The subjects were secondary education students who had successfully completed a field experience program preceding their enrollment in the methods course. The course was…

ONE HUNDRED PROSPECTIVE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS PARTICIPATED IN A MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENT TO TEST A METHOD OF INCREASING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHER PREPARATION IN COMPOSITION INSTRUCTION. TWO CONTROL GROUPS COMPLETED THE CUSTOMARY PROGRAM OF FRESHMAN ENGLISH, MODERN ENGLISH GRAMMAR, AND METHODS OF TEACHING LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION.…

This document explores some aspects of Competency Based Teacher Education (CBTE) in the area of elementary mathematics teaching methods. The essential and distinguishing features of CBTE are examined. The following topics are discussed in detail: (1) how competencies may be identified; (2) the effects of a competency orientation on methods…

The guide presents 15 learning tasks for students preparing to teach business education. Each task contains problem areas, performance objectives, prerequisites, and learning activities. The learning tasks are: orientation to basic business; systematic planning of instructional units; writing objectives for teaching bookkeeping or a basic business…

This document comprises the second of two appendices (B) to a final report of a study, completed at Central Michigan University, focusing on the development of a competency-based elementary teacher preparation module in science education. Contained in this appendix are the assessment instruments used in the study--Semantic Differential Survey:…

The hypotheses of this field study, conducted in connection with the Teaching Techniques Laboratory at the University of Illinois, were that student teachers who had participated in a supervised, laboratory, microteaching experience would: 1) receive more favorable pupil evaluations of an initial and final teaching effort on the Teacher…

Graduate students enrolling in research methods courses frequently experience significant anxiety. An effective instructor can lessen anxiety and alleviate frustration by using both personal interaction and course activities. This newsletter describes ways to reduce anxiety and help students approach research with understanding and interest. This…

This study investigated whether or not students apply educational theory to practical situations when they are involved in a learning process that starts from their own educational experiences and "Gestalts," the holistic unity of knowledge, feelings, values, and meanings linked to concrete situations encountered before, and colored by…

Instructors of methods classes in social studies for preservice teachers were surveyed concerning their class goals, their instructional methods, and the attributes they believed essential for teacher success and competence. Study findings suggest some factors that may help to account for the alleged lack of impact of teacher education courses.…

Presents tabular and narrative findings from a survey of industrial teacher educators to obtain data on the delivery systems they preferred to use in teaching specific teacher competencies and the categories or clusters of teaching competencies. The educators still preferred print-base materials and the lecture-discussion method. (MF)