This series of three papers explores current and emerging issues in professional preparation for the early care and education field. The papers examine a set of interrelated issues: the design and supply of preparation programs within and outside higher education; access to preparation in relation to the need for diversifying the leadership of the…

This commentary on the Council for Exceptional Children-Council on Education of the Deaf's (CEC-CED's) Joint Knowledge and Skills Statement, which sets forth qualifications needed by those who teach deaf and hard of hearing students, discusses key issues impacting the education of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing: cultural flexibility,…

Reflecting some of the most up-to-date thinking about enriching the experience of those who plan for and are involved in the care of children, this brochure lists critical skills of those individuals in the child care profession, and may be used as a reminder and as a self-evaluation tool. The skills highlighted are: enhancing child development;…

This study investigated components of preservice training likely to influence the development of expertise in teaching. The study examined whether perceived self-efficacy, cognitive skills for teaching, basic teaching skills, beginning training teacher performance, knowledge of subject matter, knowledge of teaching, teacher work environment, and…

This teaching packet is designed to teach Alaskan students in grades 4-6 about Alaska's seabird populations, the worldwide significance of seabirds, and the environmental conditions to which seabirds are sensitive. The packet includes a curriculum guide (containing a teacher's background story and 12 teaching activities), a separately published…

This paper presents some possible reasons why persons with visual impairments are under-represented in the fields of mathematics and science, including insufficient general preparation for higher education during the K-12 years and the lack of effective alternative instructional materials and methods available to a person with a visual impairment…

This study was conducted to determine: (1) if technical institute faculty and administrators believe there should be state licensing for postsecondary technical institute faculty; (2) if technical faculty and administrators believe a licensing process similar to that used in other non-teaching professions should be implemented; and (3) what…

In 1996, the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future published a report, "What Matters Most: Teaching for America's Future." The state of Missouri entered into a partnership with the National Commission to study and debate issues raised in the report. In 1997, the Missouri Commission on the Future of Teaching convened for…

The goal of this guide is to provide resources for teachers and trainers to use in helping students improve their scientific thinking and problem solving skills in real-life situations. Each activity is characterized by inquiry-based learning, process skill development, and gender equity considerations. Topics for activities include problem…

Compares two high school chemistry teachers with two elementary science teachers from case studies from the Exemplary Practice in Science and Mathematics Education Project in Australia. Concludes that both pedagogical and content knowledge are important ingredients for outstanding teaching. (CW)

This paper investigates prospective elementary and secondary school teachers' understanding of proof in a case where the truth set of an open sentence is broader than the set covered by a valid proof by mathematical induction. This case breaks the boundaries of students' usual experience with proving tasks. The most important finding is that a…

This paper describes how 13 Swedish preschool student teachers and one preservice leisure educator discussed their thoughts regarding their professional work, their life histories, and their ongoing studies in special education. What unified them was their professional education, which was based on their own participation. This project examined…

This collection of papers describes what is known about the effective professional development of literacy educators. The 11 papers are: (1) "Professional Development Scenarios: What Is and Might Be" (Emily Rodgers and Gay Su Pinnell); (2) "A National Overview of Professional Development Programs in Reading" (Marie Tejero Hughes, Michele Mits…

This paper reports on a study of mathematics teachers' thinking in the teaching of contextual or word problems [WP] with particular focus on teachers' conceptions of WP and the relationship to teaching. The 20 participants included Grades 1-12 preservice and inservice teachers. Data consisted of interviews and classroom observations. The findings…

This study focuses on a professional development program that employs action research as a strategy. The goals of the program include encouraging volunteer teachers to conduct research projects that can inform their understanding of student learning and achievement and increasing teachers' awareness of the value of disciplined inquiry to answer…