Sample records for teacher preparation courses

  1. Learning to Teach a Blended Course in a Teacher Preparation Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kang, Jung Jin

    2014-01-01

    Teacher preparation programs have provided blended courses (a combination of online and face-to-face learning) for their students because of their availability and their convenience. Researchers need to understand how teacher educators perceive blended courses when they teach teacher candidates, because teacher preparation programs have different…

  2. Preparing Teachers of Statistics: A Graduate Course for Future Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garfield, Joan; Everson, Michelle

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes a unique graduate-level course that prepares teachers of introductory statistics at the college and high school levels. The course was developed as part of a graduate degree program in statistics education. Although originally taught in a face-to-face setting, the class has been converted to an online course to be accessible…

  3. Snapshots of Authentic Scientific Inquiry and Teacher Preparation: Undergraduate STEM Courses, Preservice and Inservice Teachers' Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    French, Debbie Ann

    2016-01-01

    In this dissertation, the researcher describes authentic scientific inquiry (ASI) within three stages of teacher preparation and development: a1) undergraduate STEM courses, b2) preservice secondary science education methods courses, and c3) inservice teacher professional development (PD). Incorporating (ASI)--pedagogy closely modeling the…

  4. Course Delivery: Keystones of Effective Special Education Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vernon-Dotson, Lisa J.; Floyd, Loury O.; Dukes, Charles; Darling, Sharon M.

    2014-01-01

    In this review of the literature, the authors examined studies investigating course delivery methods for preparing special education teachers. Ultimately, 17 studies were reviewed using a constant comparative qualitative method of analysis. This analysis led to the emergence of five themes: (a) established needs, (b) effectiveness, (c) logistics,…

  5. Insights from a Subject Knowledge Enhancement Course for Preparing New Chemistry and Physics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Inglis, Michael; Mallaburn, Andrea; Tynan, Richard; Clays, Ken; Jones, Robert Bryn

    2013-01-01

    A recent Government response to shortages of new physics and chemistry teachers is the extended subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course. Graduates without a physics or chemistry bachelor degree are prepared by an SKE course to enter a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme to become science teachers with a physics or chemistry…

  6. Preparing Teachers of Pupils with Mental Retardation: Changes in Course Offerings from 1970-1990.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brusca, Rita M.; Montemurro, Theodore J.

    1994-01-01

    Comparison of typical courses of study from 1970 to 1990 for students preparing to be teachers of pupils with mental retardation found little change in percentage of programs offering a special course on mental retardation; increased percentage of programs offering cross-categorical courses; and decreased percentage of programs requiring joint…

  7. Snapshots of Authentic Scientific Inquiry and Teacher Preparation: Undergraduate STEM Courses, Preservice and Inservice Teachers' Experiences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    French, Debbie Ann

    In this dissertation, the researcher describes authentic scientific inquiry (ASI) within three stages of teacher preparation and development: a1) undergraduate STEM courses, b2) preservice secondary science education methods courses, and c3) inservice teacher professional development (PD). Incorporating (ASI)-- pedagogy closely modeling the research practices of scientists--is at the forefront of national science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In the first of three research articles, 42 students participated in an introductory astronomy course which employed inquiry-based pedagogy. The researcher administered the Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST) pre/post instruction. In the second article, 56 preservice secondary science teachers completed ideal lesson plan scenarios before and after 80 hours of methods instruction. The researcher scored the scenarios using a rubrirubric developedc according to the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices, and analyzed the components from the scenarios. The third article surveyed 63 inservice STEM teachers with prior research and industry experience. The researcher highlights teacher ASI perspectives. Overall, teachers incorporated opportunities for K-20 students to use scientific instrumentation and technology to collect and analyze data, work collaboratively, and develop evidence-based conclusions. Few teachers provided opportunities for students to ask scientific questions or disseminate results, suggesting the need that teachers (at all levels) need scaffolded instruction in these areas. The researcher argues that while ASI and STEM PDs are effective for teachers, developing similar interest, on-going communities of practice may provide support for teacher to implement the ASI practices in their classrooms.

  8. Effects of Teacher Preparation Courses: Do Graduates Use What They Learned to Plan Mathematics Lessons?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Anne K.; Hiebert, James

    2017-01-01

    We investigated whether the content pre-service teachers studied in elementary teacher preparation mathematics courses was related to their performance on a mathematics lesson planning task 2 and 3 years after graduation. The relevant mathematics knowledge was studied when the teachers were freshmen, 5 to 6 years earlier. Results showed that when…

  9. Using a Science/Technology/Society Approach to Prepare Reform-Oriented Science Teachers: The Case of a Secondary Science Methods Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dass, Pradeep M.

    2005-01-01

    Reformed preparation of science teachers is indeed vital for the vision of science teaching reform to be accomplished. Typically, a critical component of a preservice science teacher preparation program is the science teaching methods course. The usual intent of this course is to help preservice science students develop an understanding of various…

  10. Preparing Science Teachers: Strong Emphasis on Science Content Course Work in a Master's Program in Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajhar, Edward A.; Blackwell, E.; Quesada, D.

    2010-05-01

    In South Florida, science teacher preparation is often weak as a shortage of science teachers often prompts administrators to assign teachers to science classes just to cover the classroom needs. This results is poor preparation of students for college science course work, which, in turn, causes the next generation of science teachers to be even weaker than the first. This cycle must be broken in order to prepare better students in the sciences. At St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida, our School of Science has teamed with our Institute for Education to create a program to alleviate this problem: A Master of Science in Education with a Concentration in Earth/Space Science. The Master's program consists of 36 total credits. Half the curriculum consists of traditional educational foundation and instructional leadership courses while the other half is focused on Earth and Space Science content courses. The content area of 18 credits also provides a separate certificate program. Although traditional high school science education places a heavy emphasis on Earth Science, this program expands that emphasis to include the broader context of astronomy, astrophysics, astrobiology, planetary science, and the practice and philosophy of science. From this contextual basis the teacher is better prepared to educate and motivate middle and high school students in all areas of the physical sciences. Because hands-on experience is especially valuable to educators, our program uses materials and equipment including small optical telescopes (Galileoscopes), several 8-in and 14-in Celestron and Meade reflectors, and a Small Radio Telescope installed on site. (Partial funding provided by the US Department of Education through Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program grant P120A050062.)

  11. Using the Learning Activities Survey to Examine Transformative Learning Experiences in Two Graduate Teacher Preparation Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caruana, Vicki; Woodrow, Kelli; Pérez, Luis

    2015-01-01

    The Learning Activities Survey (LAS) detected whether, and to what extent, a perspective transformation occurred during two graduate courses in teacher preparation. The LAS examined the types of learning identified as contributing to their transformative experiences. This study examined pre-service teachers' critical reflection of the course…

  12. Complexity of Reasoning about Children's Development: Links with Teacher-Preparation Content Courses and Supervised Laboratory Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guzell, Jacqueline R.; Stringer, Sharon A.

    2004-01-01

    In a sample of 74 university students studying early childhood and pre-kindergarten education, researchers assessed the relationships between child development knowledge, complexity of reasoning about development, prior work experience with children, and teacher-preparation content courses and laboratory courses. There was no statistically…

  13. Teachers' voices: A comparison of two secondary science teacher preparation programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohlhaas Labuda, Kathryn

    This dissertation, using cross-case qualitative methodology, investigates the salient and latent features of two philosophically different university-based secondary science teacher preparation programs. Written documents from the two programs and from the Salish I Research project provided the salient data. New teachers' interview transcripts provided the latent data. This study provides the opportunity to hear teachers voice their perceptions of preparation programs. Three questions were investigated in this research study. First, What are the salient features of two different secondary science teacher preparation programs? Second, What are the latent features of two different secondary science teacher programs as perceived by new teachers? Third, How do new secondary science teachers from different programs perceive their preservice programs? The last question incorporates teachers' perceptions of gaps and coherence in the programs and teachers' recommendations to improve their preservice programs. Salient features of the programs revealed differences in the types of certification, and the amounts and types of required course work. Both programs certified teachers at the secondary science level, but only M program certified their teachers as elementary science specialists. Program M required more semester hours of education and science course work than Program S. Although teachers from both programs perceived little coherence between their science and education courses, S-teachers presented a more fragmented picture of their education program and perceived fewer benefits from the program. Lack of relevance and courses that focused on elementary teaching were perceived as part of the problem. M-teachers perceived some cohesion through the use of cohorts in three consecutive semesters of science methods courses that provided multiple field experiences prior to student teaching. S-teachers did not perceive an organized philosophy of their program. M-teachers

  14. A Comparison of Secondary Chemistry Courses and Chemistry Teacher Preparation Programs in Iowa and Saint Petersburg, Russia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanger, Michael J.; Brincks, Erik L.; Phelps, Amy J.; Pak, Maria S.; Lyovkin, Antony N.

    2001-09-01

    This paper, which is a result of the collaboration between the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia in Saint Petersburg, compares the 7-12 chemistry courses in Iowa and Saint Petersburg and the chemistry teacher preparation programs at UNI and Herzen. Differences in the 7-12 chemistry courses include curriculum design (spiral versus layer cake), students' extracurricular activities, and access to technology in the classroom. Differences in the chemistry teacher preparation programs include the number of methods and chemistry content courses required, the number of chemistry teaching majors, the proportion of teaching majors enrolled in the different natural science programs, and the typical minors and endorsements received by these majors. Although we noted many differences in chemistry instruction between Iowa and Saint Petersburg, the secondary and college instructors still face many similar issues, which include overcoming student chemophobia, improving students' algorithmic and problem-solving skills, improving students' conceptual understanding at the particulate level, and dealing with shortages in qualified secondary science teachers.

  15. Mathematics Courses for the Prospective Teacher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kistler, Barbara C.

    This paper suggests that faculty at two-year institutions need to become partners with colleges of education and K-12 teachers of mathematics in preparing future mathematics teachers. The paper presents the following: a summary of recommendations on programs for prospective teachers; a summary of recommendations about mathematics courses for…

  16. Preparing Industrial Education Teachers as Reading Specialists.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cranney, A. Garr; McKell, William E.

    Three years ago Brigham Young University in Provo, UT began offering a required two-credit pass-fail course to prepare industrial education teachers to teach reading in their field. The course is team taught by a reading teacher and an industrial education faculty member who had done his/her dissertation in reading. Addressed in the course are the…

  17. Research-Based Online Course Development for Special Education Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Lewis R.

    2004-01-01

    Distance education utilizing online courses has emerged as an area of program development for many teacher education programs. Online course learning management systems, such as Blackboard.com, have made putting a course online a relatively simple task; however, in many cases, the online course is little more than a correspondence course with a…

  18. Preparing Preservice Teachers to Engage Parents through Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mehlig, Lisa M.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine the degree to which activities within an undergraduate teacher education course in classroom assessment prepared preservice teachers for engaging parents in their children's education. Research indicates that few preservice teachers enter their first classrooms prepared, specifically in the areas of…

  19. Preparing the Teacher of Tomorrow

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hemp, Paul E.

    1976-01-01

    Suggested ways of planning and conducting high quality teacher preparation programs are discussed under major headings of student selection, sequential courses and experiences, and program design. (HD)

  20. Developing Understanding of Mathematical Modeling in Secondary Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anhalt, Cynthia Oropesa; Cortez, Ricardo

    2016-01-01

    This study examines the evolution of 11 prospective teachers' understanding of mathematical modeling through the implementation of a modeling module within a curriculum course in a secondary teacher preparation program. While the prospective teachers had not previously taken a course on mathematical modeling, they will be expected to include…

  1. Guidelines for preparing high school psychology teachers: course-based and standards-based approaches.

    PubMed

    2013-01-01

    Psychology is one of the most popular elective high school courses. The high school psychology course provides the foundation for students to benefit from psychological perspectives on personal and contemporary issues and learn the rules of evidence and theoretical frameworks of the discipline. The guidelines presented here constitute the second of two reports in this issue of the American Psychologist (January 2013) representing recent American Psychological Association (APA) policies that support high-quality instruction in the teaching of high school psychology. These guidelines, aligned to the standards presented in the preceding report, describe models for the preparation of preservice psychology teachers. The two reports together demonstrate the rigor and competency that should be expected in psychology instruction at the high school level.

  2. Inclusive Education in Canada: Issues in Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCrimmon, Adam W.

    2015-01-01

    Inclusive education (IE) is widely adopted in Canadian educational systems. However, few Canadian universities require students in undergraduate teacher preparation programs to complete coursework on the topic of IE, and the few courses on this topic do not adequately prepare future teachers to work in inclusive classrooms with students with…

  3. An analysis of high-performing science students' preparation for collegiate science courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walter, Karen

    This mixed-method study surveyed first year high-performing science students who participated in high-level courses such as International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and honors science courses in high school to determine their perception of preparation for academic success at the collegiate level. The study used 52 students from an honors college campus and surveyed the students and their professors. The students reported that they felt better prepared for academic success at the collegiate level by taking these courses in high school (p<.001). There was a significant negative correlation between perception of preparation and student GPA with honors science courses (n=55 and Pearson's r=-0.336), while AP courses (n=47 and Pearson's r=0.0016) and IB courses (n=17 and Pearson's r=-0.2716) demonstrated no correlation between perception of preparation and GPA. Students reported various themes that helped or hindered their perception of academic success once at the collegiate level. Those themes that reportedly helped students were preparedness, different types of learning, and teacher qualities. Students reported in a post-hoc experience that more lab time, rigorous coursework, better teachers, and better study techniques helped prepare them for academic success at the collegiate level. Students further reported on qualities of teachers and teaching that helped foster their academic abilities at the collegiate level, including teacher knowledge, caring, teaching style, and expectations. Some reasons for taking high-level science courses in high school include boosting GPA, college credit, challenge, and getting into better colleges.

  4. Two-year colleges, Physics, and Teacher Preparation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clay, Keith

    2002-05-01

    In the midst of a teacher shortage no field suffers more than physics. Half of our secondary physics teachers have less than a minor in physics. Meanwhile half of our future teachers start out at two-year colleges with physicists on staff. The opportunity for community colleges to have an impact on K-12 teaching is tremendous. Project TEACH has been honored as an outstanding teacher preparation program. It is a collaboration of colleges and K-12 schools dedicated to the improvement of teacher preparation, especially in science and math. Based at Green River Community College, Project TEACH unites certification institutions, community colleges, and K-12 school districts in the pre-service and in-service training of teachers. Activities of Project TEACH include recruitment and advising of future teachers, field experience for education students, creation of pre-teaching and para-educator degrees, tutoring from elementary school through college, in-service courses for current teachers, and special math and science courses aimed at future teachers. The yearlong interdisciplinary science sequence blends chemistry, physics, geology, and biology in a hands-on inquiry-based environment. The yearlong math sequence covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and probability with inquiry-based pedagogy. The programs developed by Project TEACH are being disseminated to colleges across Washington State and beyond.

  5. Using Digital Videos to Enhance Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dymond, Stacy K.; Bentz, Johnell L.

    2006-01-01

    The technology to produce high quality, digital videos is widely available, yet its use in teacher preparation remains largely overlooked. A digital video library was created to augment instruction in a special education methods course for preservice elementary education teachers. The videos illustrated effective strategies for working with…

  6. Web-Based Certification Courses: The Future of Teacher Preparation in Special Education?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Ling; Bender, William N.; Fore, Cecil, III

    2003-01-01

    This article describes development and implementation of the Western Carolina University Teacher Support Program, a multi-component Web-based special education teacher development course. The program is intended to reduce stress and burnout, improve retention, develop problem solving strategies, and improve the effectiveness of teachers.…

  7. Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Multicultural Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Premier, Jessica Aimee; Miller, Jenny

    2010-01-01

    Cultural diversity is evident throughout schools in Victoria, Australia. Many students are new arrivals from war-torn countries including Sudan, Afghanistan and Iraq. To what extent do teacher training courses in Victoria prepare pre-service teachers to cater for the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students? This paper…

  8. Teaching Students with Disabilities: A Web-Based Examination of Preparation of Preservice Primary School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephenson, Jennifer; O'Neill, Sue; Carter, Mark

    2012-01-01

    With increasing expectations that preservice teachers will be prepared to teach students with special needs in regular classrooms, it is timely to review relevant units in teacher education courses. Units relevant to special education/inclusion in primary undergraduate teacher preparation courses in Australian tertiary institutions, delivered in…

  9. Theory and Practice in a Science Education Course for Elementary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lacueva, Aurora

    2014-01-01

    In this action research work, I analyze the theory-practice integration in teacher preparation within the context of a science and technology (S&T) education teaching methodology course aimed at future elementary teachers. The course was designed, developed and evaluated taking into account this relationship as one of its axes. The results…

  10. Preparing Globally Competent Teacher Candidates through Cross-Cultural Experiential Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kopish, Michael A.

    2016-01-01

    This manuscript presents findings and implications from a case study of one global educator's attempt to develop globally competent teacher candidates in an elective teacher preparation course. Global Citizenship Education served as the framing paradigm for the course and human experiences of immigrants and refugees served as the milieu for…

  11. Preparing Culturally Responsive Literacy Teachers: Investigations of Whiteness in a Literacy Methods Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Royster, Kelly Berghoff

    2013-01-01

    Teacher education programs across the United States must prepare teachers who have the content area knowledge, pedagogical expertise, and cultural competence needed to teach an increasingly diverse student population. One consistent suggestion for programs committed to preparing culturally responsive teachers is to incorporate investigations of…

  12. Rational Numbers in Content and Methods Courses for Teacher Preparation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pesek, Dolores D.; Gray, Elizabeth D.; Golding, Tena L.

    Over the past five years, Pesek (Simoneaux), Gray and Golding have been actively involved in the Louisiana Systemic Initiative Program (LaSIP) and the Louisiana Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (LACEPT) grants through Southeastern Louisiana University. Through these grants teachers from the region are inserviced on…

  13. Preparing Every Teacher to Reach English Learners: A Practical Guide for Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nutta, Joyce W., Ed.; Mokhtari, Kouider, Ed.; Strebel, Carine, Ed.

    2012-01-01

    "Preparing Every Teacher to Reach English Learners" presents a practical, flexible model for infusing English learner (EL) instruction into teacher education courses. The editors outline the key steps involved in this approach--winning faculty support, assessing needs, and developing capacity--and share strategies for avoiding pitfalls. The…

  14. Pre-service science teachers' perceptions of mathematics courses in a science teacher education programme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Incikabi, Lutfi; Serin, Mehmet Koray

    2017-08-01

    Most science departments offer compulsory mathematics courses to their students with the expectation that students can apply their experience from the mathematics courses to other fields of study, including science. The current study first aims to investigate the views of pre-service science teachers of science-teaching preparation degrees and their expectations regarding the difficulty level of mathematics courses in science-teaching education programmes. Second, the study investigates changes and the reasons behind the changes in their interest regarding mathematics after completing these courses. Third, the current study seeks to reveal undergraduate science teachers' opinions regarding the contribution of undergraduate mathematics courses to their professional development. Being qualitative in nature, this study was a case study. According to the results, almost all of the students considered that undergraduate mathematics courses were 'difficult' because of the complex and intensive content of the courses and their poor background mathematical knowledge. Moreover, the majority of science undergraduates mentioned that mathematics would contribute to their professional development as a science teacher. On the other hand, they declared a negative change in their attitude towards mathematics after completing the mathematics courses due to continuous failure at mathematics and their teachers' lack of knowledge in terms of teaching mathematics.

  15. The Mathematics Education of Elementary Teachers: Issues and Strategies for Content Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hart, Lynn C., Ed.; Oesterle, Susan, Ed.; Auslander, Susan Swars, Ed.; Kajander, Ann, Ed.

    2016-01-01

    This book is an edited volume addressing specific issues of significance for individuals involved with the undergraduate mathematics content preparation of prospective elementary teachers (PSTs). Teaching mathematics content courses to this group of students presents unique challenges. While some PSTs enter their teacher preparation with weak…

  16. Teachers as Course Developers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graves, Kathleen, Ed.

    The collection of essays on teachers as course developers is designed to help teachers understand how to develop courses or modify existing ones using their own experience and the experiences and theories of others. It attempts to capture this process through the stories of six teachers who have developed courses. Each narrative focuses on a…

  17. Preparing perservice teachers to teach elementary school science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewis, Amy D.

    The development of scientifically literate citizens begins in the elementary school. Yet elementary school teachers are ill prepared to teach science (Trygstad, Smith, Banilower, Nelson, & Horizon Research, Inc., 2013). The research base on teacher preparation finds that programs designed to prepare elementary teachers are inadequate in providing both the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge necessary to teach science effectively (Baumgartner, 2010; Bodzin & Beerer, 2003; Bulunuz & Jarrett 2009). This mixed methods study examined what happened when a science methods course was interactively co-taught by an expert in elementary teaching methods and a physics expert. This study also aimed to discover what aspects of the curriculum pre-service teachers (PSTs) said helped them in developing their understanding of science content and scientific reasoning, and how to implement inquiry practices to teach science. A nested case study of three PSTs provided descriptive portraits of student experiences in the class. A whole class case analysis was used to examine what PSTs learned in terms of science, scientific reasoning skills, and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) from their experiences in the course. It was found that students often conflated science content with the experiences they had in learning the content. Although PSTs felt the interactive co-teaching model effectively created a balance between theory and practice, it was their experiences doing science--conducting physical experiments, developing and discussing scientific models, and the use of inquiry-based instruction--that they credited for their learning. Even with careful curriculum planning, and a course purposely designed to bridge the theory to practice gap, this study found one semester-long methods course to be insufficient in providing the vast content knowledge and PCK elementary school science teachers need.

  18. NASE Training Courses in Astronomy for Teachers throughout the World

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ros, Rosa M.

    2012-01-01

    Network for Astronomy School Education, NASE, is a project that is organizing courses for teachers throughout the entire world. The main objective of the project is to prepare secondary and primary school teachers in astronomy. Students love to know more about astronomy and teachers have the opportunity to observe the sky that every school has…

  19. Pre-Service Science Teachers' Perceptions of Mathematics Courses in a Science Teacher Education Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Incikabi, Lutfi; Serin, Mehmet Koray

    2017-01-01

    Most science departments offer compulsory mathematics courses to their students with the expectation that students can apply their experience from the mathematics courses to other fields of study, including science. The current study first aims to investigate the views of pre-service science teachers of science-teaching preparation degrees and…

  20. Preparing Preservice Teachers to Incorporate Geospatial Technologies in Geography Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harte, Wendy

    2017-01-01

    This study evaluated the efficacy of geospatial technology (GT) learning experiences in two geography curriculum courses to determine their effectiveness for developing preservice teacher confidence and preparing preservice teachers to incorporate GT in their teaching practices. Surveys were used to collect data from preservice teachers at three…

  1. Student Perception of Online Learning in ESL Bilingual Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daniel, Mayra C.; Schumacher, Gail; Stelter, Nicole; Riley, Carolyn

    2016-01-01

    Current technologies are changing delivery options for post-graduate teacher education. Many practicing teachers who return to school to prepare to educate English learners choose distance learning. This article explores teachers' perceived satisfaction with the quality of online courses, with the collaborative tasks required in these, and the…

  2. The Design and Development of an Online, Case-Based Course in a Teacher Preparation Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peña, Carmen M.

    2004-01-01

    The goals of this study were to: 1) design a web-based course using WebCT for future secondary school teachers at the University of Texas Pan American, 2) evaluate the effectiveness of the course, and 3) provide a set of guidelines for designing web-based courses for other teacher educators. The participants in this study consisted of junior- and…

  3. Enhancing Practice through Clinically Rich Methods Courses in Physical Education: Perceptions of Preservice Teachers and Their Cooperating Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flory, Sara Barnard; Burns, Rebecca West

    2017-01-01

    Similar to other teacher education disciplines, Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) must adjust to calls for clinically rich teacher preparation because knowledge learned in PETE does not easily transfer to cultures of schools, classrooms, and gymnasia. Opportunity exists to understand more about clinically rich PETE courses, particularly…

  4. Using Critical Cosmopolitanism to Globally Situate Multicultural Education in Teacher Preparation Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byker, Erik Jon; Marquardt, Sheila K.

    2016-01-01

    Globally-minded teachers often beget globally-minded students. The same relationship seems to hold true for multiculturalism; teachers who are committed to multiculturalism often nudge students toward the same commitment. Global citizenship and multicultural education share a strong bond. Yet, in the field of social studies teacher preparation,…

  5. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    HERBERT, JOHN; WILLIAMS, DONALD

    SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN THE FORM AND SUBSTANCE OF PSYCHOLOGY OFFERINGS IN TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS MAY BE IMMINENT. ALTHOUGH THERE SEEMS TO BE SUBSTANTIAL AGREEMENT THAT PSYCHOLOGY SHOULD BE TAUGHT, AGREEMENT THAT CHANGES MUST BE MADE IS GENERAL. COURSE OBJECTIVES FORMULATED BY THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS PLANNING GROUP ARE LISTED. IT IS…

  6. Preparing Pre-Service Generalist Teachers to Use Creative Movement in K-6

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaufmann, Karen; Ellis, Becky

    2007-01-01

    University courses preparing elementary education majors to incorporate creative movement into their teaching methodology are becoming requirements in many schools of education around the country. The article addresses three questions pertinent to preparing upcoming teachers: 1. How can pre-service generalist teachers develop an appreciation of…

  7. Preparing Physics and Chemistry Teachers at the University of Arizona

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Novodvorsky, Ingrid

    2006-04-01

    Beginning in 2000, science majors at the University of Arizona who wish to teach in middle or high schools have enrolled in the College of Science Teacher Preparation Program (CoS TPP). Students in the program take General Education courses, content courses, and science pedagogy courses that make them eligible for teacher certification. Students can remain in their science degree programs, and take the required science pedagogy courses, or they can enroll in a BS in Science Education degree that includes the pedagogy courses, with concentrations available in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics. Science educators from six different departments, two permanent Adjunct Instructors, and two Teachers in Residence teach the program's courses. (One of the Teachers in Residence is supported by the PhysTEC project.) Most of the pedagogy courses include field experiences in area science classrooms; the program works with some 115 mentor teachers from throughout the Tucson area, who host preservice teachers in their field experiences. In the first six years of the program, 14 program graduates have been chemistry and physics teachers. This compares to a total of six chemistry and physics teachers produced by the College of Education program in the four years preceding the creation of the CoS TPP. In this presentation, I will describe the unique features of the courses that prospective chemistry and physics teachers take and the field experiences in which they participate. In addition, I will describe how PhysTEC-supplied resources have been used to improve the program, and the ways in which we are assessing the program's success.

  8. The impact of teacher preparation on student achievement in rural secondary schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barnes, Shontier Prescott

    The primary purpose of this study was to examine significant differences, if any, in student achievement in the area of math and science of students taught by traditionally certified teachers and alternatively certified teachers. This study examined alternatively certified teachers, as identified from through the Georgia TAPP (Teacher Alternative Preparation Program), and traditionally certified teachers in rural high schools in the Central Savannah River Area of Georgia. Student achievement was measured by student scores on the Algebra I and Physical Science End-Of-Course Test, a criterion-referenced test aligned with state adopted curriculum standards. The study utilized frequency distributions, correlations, descriptive statistics, and univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine the data. Univariate tests were done to find individual differences for each dependent variable. The ANOVA was used for the single dependent (student achievement) and formed comparisons and tracked the effect of the independent variable (teacher preparation), each of which (traditional and alternative) may have a number of levels and may interact to affect the dependent variable. The covariates, the independent variables not manipulated, but still affecting the response, are students' ethnicity, gender, and school socioeconomic status were also analyzed to predict student achievement. KEY WORDS. Teacher Preparation, Student Achievement, Math, Science, Traditionally certified teachers, Alternatively certified teachers, Georgia TAPP (Teacher Alternative Preparation Program), End-Of-Course Test (EOCT), Performance standard.

  9. A Course in Earth System Science: Developed for Teachers by Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wong, K.; Read, K.; Charlevoix, D.; Tomkin, J.; Hug, B.; Williams, M.; Pianfetti, E.

    2008-12-01

    ESES 202 is a new general education course in physical science at the University of Illinois's School of Earth, Society and Environment, designed for pre-service K-8 teachers. The goal of the course is to help future classroom teachers become confident with teaching earth science content. The designers of this course include a faculty expert in earth system science, a pre-service teacher and a former middle school science teacher. The goal of the in the curriculum design was to utilize the unique perspectives and experiences of our team. Our poster will highlight the unique nature of the curriculum development outlining the challenges and successes of designing the course. The general format of the class will be a combination of discussions, hands on experiences, and opportunities for students to design their own lessons. Class meetings will be once per week in a three-hour block, allowing students to immediately transfer new content knowledge into classroom activities. The end goal is that they can use these same activities with their students once they are practicing teachers. The content of the course shall be taught using an earth systems approach by showing the relationships among the four spheres: biosphere, hydrosphere, atmospheric, and anthrosphere. There are five units in the course: Introduction to Earth Systems, Carbon Cycle, Water Quality, El Niño and Climate Change. In addition to the science portion of the course, students will spend time reflecting on the classroom activities from the perspective of future educators. Activities will be presented at a late elementary school level; however, time will be devoted to discussing methods to adapt the lesson to different grade levels and differentiation needs within a classroom. Additionally, students in this course will be instructed on how to utilize a multitude of resources from stream tables to science education databases to prepare them for the dynamic nature of the classroom. By the end of the class

  10. Bringing the Teacher into Teacher Preparation: Learning from Mentor Teachers in Joint Methods Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wood, Marcy B.; Turner, Erin E.

    2015-01-01

    Studies of mathematics teacher preparation frequently lament the divide between the more theoretically based university methods course and the practically grounded classroom field experience. In many instances, attempts to mediate this gap involve creating hybrid or third spaces, which seek to dissipate the differences in knowledge status as…

  11. Pre-Service Teachers Learn to Teach Geography: A Suggested Course Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Jerry T.

    2018-01-01

    How to improve geography education via teacher preparation programs has been a concern for nearly three decades, but few examples of a single, comprehensive university-level course exist. The purpose of this article is to share the model of a pre-service geography education methods course. Within the course, geography content (physical and social)…

  12. Practice or Theory: Situating Science Teacher Preparation Within a Context of Ecojustice Philosophy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Britton, Stacey A.; Tippins, Deborah J.

    2015-06-01

    Theory is taught to preservice teachers from the moment they enter the education program until they graduate. While theory serves as the foundation in many teacher preparation courses, these future teachers must also understand the relationship it has to practice. The focus of this article is on the journey of one group of preservice secondary science teachers toward becoming practitioners with a theoretical understanding of what and how they would teach science. Ecojustice philosophy, being implemented through citizen science pedagogy, served as the framework for this method course and proved challenging for both the professor and the preservice teacher. Hermeneutic ethnography served as the guiding methodological/theoretical framework for this research and provided an opportunity for extensive data collection in an attempt to better understand how participants made sense of learning to teach within a method course focused around ecojustice philosophy. By using hermeneutic ethnography, we are encouraged to make sense of what we are seeing, while considering our own cultural experiences and abilities to interact with others taking part in these events. This research highlights the need for dialogue within science teacher preparation classrooms, addresses the challenges in teaching for practice-theory, and suggests possibilities for future considerations within science teacher preparation.

  13. Preparing Special Education Teachers to Use Educational Technology to Enhance Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wallace, Teresa; Georgina, David

    2014-01-01

    New standards require teachers to integrate the use of technology in their teaching and preparing teachers at the preservice level to integrate technology into the classroom is key. The way in which this is accomplished varies across institutions though often a technology tools course stands as an individual course with the hope professors are…

  14. The Development and Evolution of an Introductory Statistics Course for In-Service Middle-Level Mathematics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmind, Kendra K.; Blankenship, Erin E.; Kerby. April T.; Green, Jennifer L.; Smith, Wendy M.

    2014-01-01

    The statistical preparation of in-service teachers, particularly middle school teachers, has been an area of concern for several years. This paper discusses the creation and delivery of an introductory statistics course as part of a master's degree program for in-service mathematics teachers. The initial course development took place before the…

  15. Balancing Detailed Comprehensiveness with a Big Vision: A Suggested Conceptual Framework for Teacher Education Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ormond, Christine A.

    2012-01-01

    Current Australian teacher accreditation processes are impacting significantly on the expectations of teacher education courses, particularly in relation to graduate resilience, flexibility and capability. This paper uses a logical conceptual format to explain how writers at a Western Australian university prepared a new Secondary Degree course,…

  16. Developing Expert Interdisciplinary Thinkers: Online Resources for Preparing Pre-service Teachers to Teach the NGSS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kent, M.; Egger, A. E.; Bruckner, M. Z.; Manduca, C. A.

    2014-12-01

    Over 100,000 students obtain a bachelor's degree in education every year; these students most commonly encounter the geosciences through a general education course, and it may be the only geoscience course they ever take. However, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) contain much more Earth science content than previous standards. In addition, the NGSS emphasize the use of science and engineering practices in the K-12 classroom. Future teachers need to experience learning science as a scientist, through a hands-on, activity-based learning process, in order to give them the skills they need to teach science that same way in the future. In order to be successful at teaching the NGSS, both current and future teachers will need more than a single course in geoscience or science methods. As a result, there is now a key opportunity for geoscience programs to play a vital role in strengthening teacher preparation programs, both through introductory courses and beyond. To help programs and individual faculty take advantage of this opportunity, we have developed a set of web-based resources, informed by participants in the InTeGrate program as well as by faculty in exemplary teacher preparation programs. The pages address the program-level task of creating engaging and effective courses for teacher preparation programs, with the goal of introducing education majors to the active pedagogies and geoscience methods they will later use in their own classrooms. A collection of exemplary Teacher Preparation programs is also included. Additional pages provide information on what it means to be an "expert thinker" in the geosciences and how individual faculty and teachers can explicitly teach these valuable skills that are reflected in the science and engineering practices of the NGSS. Learn more on the InTeGrate web site about preparing future teachers: serc.carleton.edu/integrate/programs/teacher_prep.htmland training expert thinkers: serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/expert_thinkers.html

  17. Strategies for Astronomers in the Preparation of Pre-Service Elementary and Secondary Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schultz, G. R.

    2004-12-01

    Making an impact on pre-service teacher preparation is challenging and requires a multi-faceted approach. To begin with, it's advisable to be informed by the education research and consensus policy statements published by the teacher education community, and to make meaningful connections with educators in this field. Two significant books to consult in this area come from the National Academy Press: "How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School" (NRC, 2000; see in particular chapter 8 on 'Teacher Learning') and "Educating Teachers of Science, Mathematics, and Technology: New Practices for the New Millennium" (NRC, 2001). Much can also be learned from joining the Association for the Education Teachers of Science (AETS; www.TheAETS.org) and/or attending its annual conferences, which attract various science teacher educators. It goes without saying that most teachers tend to teach science the way they learned it themselves, at least as a "default" pedagogical approach. Thus, initiatives in pre-service teacher preparation should include efforts to involve constructivist, inquiry-based teaching and learning in the undergraduate science lecture and laboratory courses that future teachers are enrolling in. Another important area in teacher education is the "science methods" course that a pre-service teacher enrolls in, through a college or school of education. Science methods courses are usually offered in both elementary and secondary education, and the approaches in each are of course different. Pre-service teachers in methods courses are often most concerned with classroom management strategies, and there is usually not much time in these courses for guidance on astronomy-specific (or any discipline-specific) curriculum and instruction. But experiences with short "interventions" in both elementary and secondary science methods courses have demonstrated that talking about and working hands-on with a well-designed space science curriculum resource (e.g. "The

  18. Infusing Preservice Teacher Preparation with Service Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Briody, Jennifer

    2005-01-01

    This research targeted the impact of service-learning experiences in one course of a teacher preparation program in an urban, private university. Participants chose either an indirect (food or toy drive) or direct (food pantry or homeless shelter) service-learning experience. Twenty-four undergraduate and graduate education majors participated in…

  19. Research Experiences in Teacher Preparation: Effectiveness of the Green Bank preservice teacher enhancement program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hemler, Debra A.

    1997-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the preservice teacher component of the Research Experiences in Teacher Preparation (RETP) project aimed at enhancing teacher perceptions of the nature of science, science research, and science teaching. Data was collected for three preservice teacher groups during the three phases of the program: (I) a one week institute held at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia where teachers performed astronomy research using a 40 foot diameter radio telescope; (II) a secondary science methods course; and (III) student teaching placements. Four Likert-type instruments were developed and administered pre and post-institute to assess changes in perceptions of science, attitudes toward research, concerns about implementing research in the classroom, and evaluation of the institute. Instruments were re-administered following the methods course and student teaching. Observations of classroom students conducting research were completed for seven preservice teacher participants in their student teaching placements. Analysis, using t-tests, showed a significant increase in preservice teachers perceptions of their ability to do research. Preservice teachers were not concerned about implementing research in their placements. No significant change was measured in their understanding of the nature of science and science teaching. Concept maps demonstrated a significant increase in radio astronomy content knowledge. Participants responded that the value of institute components, quality of the research elements, and preparation for implementing research in the classroom were "good" to "excellent". Following the methods course (Phase II) no significant change in their understanding of the nature of science or concerns about implementing projects in the classroom were measured. Of the 7 preservice teachers who were observed implementing research projects, 5 projects were consistent with the Green

  20. Preparing Teachers for New Standards: From Content in Core Disciplines to Disciplinary Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boyle, Justin D.; Svihla, Vanessa; Tyson, Kersti; Bowers, Hannah; Buntjer, Jennifer; Garcia-Olp, Michelle; Kvam, Nicholas; Sample, Stephanie

    2013-01-01

    There are many barriers to the implementation of new practice standards. To implement practices that both prepare and inspire their students, preservice teachers need opportunities to enact reform practices: to prepare and be inspired themselves. These opportunities are found in students' content courses, methods courses, and field placements. In…

  1. Does the Number of Post-Secondary Agricultural Mechanics Courses Completed Affect Teacher Competence?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byrd, Alex Preston; Anderson, Ryan G.; Paulsen, Thomas H.; Shultz, Matthew J.

    2015-01-01

    Preparing teachers to teach agricultural mechanics is a difficult task since many topic areas are included in the curriculum. This study examines the effect of the number of college courses taken on a teacher's perceived competence to teach agricultural mechanics. Agricultural education teachers in Iowa ranked themselves according to their…

  2. A Capstone Mathematics Course for Prospective Secondary Mathematics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Artzt, Alice F.; Sultan, Alan; Curcio, Frances R.; Gurl, Theresa

    2012-01-01

    This article describes an innovative capstone mathematics course that links college mathematics with school mathematics and pedagogy. It describes how college juniors in a secondary mathematics teacher preparation program engage in leadership experiences that enable them to learn mathematics for teaching while developing student-centered…

  3. Teacher Mindset and the Nature of Feedback Provided to Students in the Pennsylvania Keystone Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prevost, Kimberly Ann Jones

    2017-01-01

    This study explored the nature of feedback strategies that teachers of Pennsylvania's Keystone courses (Algebra I, biology, and literature) used to prepare their students to meet the minimum proficiency standard on the corresponding Keystone exam, taken at the end of the course. Teachers reported highest usage of the following feedback types:…

  4. [An analysis of kindergarden teachers' preparation to provide first aid].

    PubMed

    Woźniak, Jadwiga; Nowicki, Grzegorz; Goniewicz, Mariusz; Zielonka, Katarzyna; Górecki, Marek; Dzirba, Alina; Chemperek, Ewa

    2011-01-01

    The major causes of deaths among preschool children are injuries and poisoning. Among the injuries, the most frequent are road accidents and accidents on farms. We may also find health and life risks to preschoolers in homes and education centres. Everybody should know first-aid rules and how to apply them in life-threatening situations. This duty particularly concerns kindergarten teachers. The purpose of the work was an analysis of kindergarten teachers' preparation to provide first aid. The research was performed on a sample of 100 kindergarten teachers from the Lubelskie Province. The research took place in January and February 2011 with the use of questionnaires prepared in-house The analysis of the results indicated that most teachers (84% of respondents) had participated in the first-aid training courses. The teachers with job seniority below 10 years and those between 11 and 20 years' seniority took part more often in the first-aid training courses than the respondents with seniority above 20 years (p=0,02). Respondents, in most cases, assessed their knowledge of first aid at grade 3 (in a continuum from 1 to 5) (42% of respondents)--the average grade was 2.98 +/- 0.97.

  5. Cloud Pedagogy: Utilizing Web-Based Technologies for the Promotion of Social Constructivist Learning in Science Teacher Preparation Courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barak, Miri

    2017-10-01

    The new guidelines for science education emphasize the need to introduce computers and digital technologies as a means of enabling visualization and data collection and analysis. This requires science teachers to bring advanced technologies into the classroom and use them wisely. Hence, the goal of this study was twofold: to examine the application of web-based technologies in science teacher preparation courses and to examine pre-service teachers' perceptions of "cloud pedagogy"—an instructional framework that applies technologies for the promotion of social constructivist learning. The study included university teachers ( N = 48) and pre-service science teachers ( N = 73). Data were collected from an online survey, written reflections, and interviews. The findings indicated that university teachers use technologies mainly for information management and the distribution of learning materials and less for applying social constructivist pedagogy. University teachers expect their students (i.e., pre-service science teachers) to use digital tools in their future classroom to a greater extent than they themselves do. The findings also indicated that the "cloud pedagogy" was perceived as an appropriate instructional framework for contemporary science education. The application of the cloud pedagogy fosters four attributes: the ability to adapt to frequent changes and uncertain situations, the ability to collaborate and communicate in decentralized environments, the ability to generate data and manage it, and the ability to explore new venous.

  6. Standards for Competence in Braille Literacy Skills in Teacher Preparation Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amato, Sheila

    2002-01-01

    A survey was conducted with 45 instructors from teacher training programs for teaching students with visual impairments. Respondents evidenced a strong commitment to Braille literacy and teacher preparation, however, findings indicate a lack of consistency in Braille courses with respect to standards and criteria for competence in Braille…

  7. Preparing Urban Teachers as Public Professionals through a University-Community Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Onore, Cynthia; Gildin, Bonny

    2010-01-01

    Despite progress in urban teacher preparation over the past 40 years, concerns still remain about transforming programs and practices in order to affect teachers' capacities to work with culturally diverse communities. These concerns include time in course curricula for discussion and reflection on field-based work, adequate supervision in…

  8. Preparing Teachers for Online Instruction with a Graduate Certificate Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shepherd, Craig E.; Bolliger, Doris U.; Dousay, Tonia A.; Persichitte, Kay

    2016-01-01

    Online education for K-12 students has grown rapidly over the past decade. Approximately four million K-12 students enroll in one or more online courses each year. Because online learning is expanding into K-12 settings, teacher education programs need to prepare preservice teachers to be successful in these areas. This paper describes the design…

  9. Preparing Teachers to Respond to Student Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferris, Dana

    2007-01-01

    Responding to student writing is one of the most challenging aspects of the writing instructor's job, and it is certainly the most time-consuming. Preparing future teachers to respond to L2 writing thus becomes an important aspect of any pre-service training course. In this paper, the author describes her own approach to training writing…

  10. Teachers' literacy-related knowledge and self-perceptions in relation to preparation and experience.

    PubMed

    Spear-Swerling, Louise; Brucker, Pamela Owen; Alfano, Michael P

    2005-12-01

    After rating their own literacy-related knowledge in three areas (knowledge about reading/reading development, phonemic awareness/phonics, and morpheme awareness/structural analysis), graduate teacher-education students completed five tasks intended to measure their actual disciplinary knowledge in these areas. Teachers with high levels of prior background (i.e., course preparation and experience) rated themselves as significantly more knowledgeable than did low-background teachers in all areas; high-background participants also significantly outperformed low-background participants on all tasks. However, even high-background teachers scored well below ceiling on the tasks. Regression analyses indicated that teachers' self-perceptions and knowledge were positively influenced by both level of preparation and teaching experience, although the influences on teachers' knowledge differed by task. Teachers had some accurate perceptions of their own knowledge, especially in the area of phonics. Results suggest that differentiating levels of preparation may be useful in studying teacher knowledge, and also support the notion of a substantial gap between research on reading and teacher preparation in reading.

  11. Changes in teacher efficacy and beliefs during a one-year teacher preparation program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lockman, Alison Schirmer

    This study attempted to further understanding of factors affecting the teacher efficacy beliefs of secondary science preservice teachers, and to develop a model relating teacher efficacy to beliefs about teaching and students. A mixed quantitative and qualitative methodology was utilized in order to track participants' beliefs both broadly and in depth throughout a one-year teacher preparation program. Results from this analysis revealed that preservice teachers at the end of the program had significantly higher personal science teaching efficacy beliefs than at the beginning of the program. No significant difference in science teaching outcome expectancy beliefs was found, although individual preservice teachers did develop alternate beliefs. Teacher efficacy beliefs were directly affected by three of Bandura's four sources of self-efficacy beliefs---Mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, and verbal persuasion---with the influence of each source of self-efficacy information appearing to change during the course of the teacher preparation program. No evidence was found that affective states by themselves had resulted in belief changes, although many of the other experiences were more powerful because they were accompanied by an emotional incident. Connections between teacher efficacy beliefs, beliefs about students, and beliefs about teaching were uncovered, as was the importance of content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge on a teacher's sense of efficacy.

  12. Effects of an Additional Mathematics Content Course on Elementary Teachers' Mathematical Beliefs and Knowledge for Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Marvin E.; Swars, Susan L.; Smith, Stephanie Z.; Hart, Lynn C.; Haardorfer, Regine

    2012-01-01

    This longitudinal study examines the effects of changes in an elementary teacher preparation program on mathematics beliefs and content knowledge for teaching of two groups of prospective teachers (N = 276): (1) those who completed a program with three mathematics content courses and two mathematics methods courses and (2) those who completed a…

  13. Investigating Effective Teaching Methods for a Place-Based Teacher Preparation in a Rural Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ajayi, Lasisi

    2014-01-01

    In this article, I argue for the need to improve teacher preparation (TP) courses for elementary education student teachers to teach English-language arts (ELA). In particular, these TP programs need to support student teachers in delivering culturally responsive pedagogy within rural classrooms. Twenty-three student teachers participated in this…

  14. Reforming teacher education: a model program for preparing teachers of deaf children.

    PubMed

    Shroyer, E H; Compton, M V

    1992-12-01

    Recent literature is replete with the concerns of general educators that students majoring in elementary and pre-primary education do not acquire sufficient content and liberal arts matter as a part of their knowledge base. Educators in undergraduate teacher preparation programs in deafness have expressed the same concerns. This article describes how the Program in Education of Deaf Children at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro added courses in a second major and in liberal arts to expand the knowledge base of prospective teachers of deaf and hard of hearing children.

  15. Reframing a Social Studies Methods Course: Preparing Elementary Teacher Candidates for the Common Core

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gleeson, Ann Marie; D'Souza, Lisa Andries

    2016-01-01

    The emphasis on disciplinary literacy skills embedded within the Common Core State Standards requires a shift in preparing teachers to explicitly address the craft of reading and writing within social studies instruction. As teacher educators, we think it is imperative to understand the ways in which our teacher candidates integrate literacy…

  16. OUTLINE FOR OCCUPATIONAL HOME ECONOMICS COURSE IN COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FOOD PREPARATION.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery. Home Economics Service.

    THE EXPERIMENTAL OUTLINE IS FOR TEACHER USE IN PLANNING A TWO-SEMESTER COURSE TO PREPARE 11TH AND 12TH GRADE STUDENTS FOR ENTRY LEVEL COMMERCIAL FOOD PREPARATION JOBS SUCH AS FOOD SERVICE WORKERS, COOK HELPERS, CATERER HELPERS, SALAD MAKERS, BAKER HELPERS, SHORT ORDER COOKS, AND TRAY LINE WORKERS. IT WAS DEVELOPED BY VOCATIONAL HOME ECONOMICS…

  17. The Learning Assistant Model for Science Teacher Recruitment and Preparation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Otero, Valerie

    2006-04-01

    There is a shortage of high quality physical science teachers in the United States. In 2001, less than 50% of teachers who taught physics held a major or minor in physics or physics education (Neuschatz & McFarling, 2003). Studies point to content knowledge as one of the two factors that is positively correlated with teacher quality. However, those directly responsible for the science content preparation of teachers, specifically science research faculty, are rarely involved in focused efforts to improve teacher quality or to create alternative paths for becoming a teacher. What role should science research faculty play in the recruitment and preparation of science teachers? How might teacher recruitment and preparation be conceived so that science research faculty members' participation in these efforts is not at odds with the traditional scientific research foci of science research departments? To address this issue, we have coupled our teacher recruitment and preparation efforts with our efforts for transforming our large-enrollment, undergraduate science courses. This is achieved through the undergraduate Learning Assistant (LA) program, where talented mathematics and science majors are hired to assist in transforming large enrollment courses to student-centered, collaborative environments. These LAs are the target of our teacher recruitment efforts. Science research faculty, in collaboration with faculty from the school of education have established a community that supports LAs in making decisions to explore K12 teaching as a career option. Fifteen percent of the LAs who have participated in this program have entered teaching credential programs and now plan to become K12 teachers. An added effect of this program is that research faculty have developed skills and knowledge regarding inquiry-based and student-centered pedagogy and theories of student learning. The Learning Assistant program has led to increased subject matter knowledge among learning

  18. Designing a Reflective Teacher Education Course and Its Contribution to ELT Teachers' Reflectivity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tajik, Leila; Pakzad, Kazem

    2016-01-01

    Researchers in the present study planned a reflective teacher education course and documented the contribution of such a course to improving teachers' reflectivity. Five English teachers took part in the reflective teacher education course designed by the researchers. To record how the course could help improve reflective teaching, researchers…

  19. Effects of a Science Content Course on Elementary Preservice Teachers' Self-Efficacy of Teaching Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bergman, Daniel J.; Morphew, Jason

    2015-01-01

    The preparation of elementary teachers to successfully teach science in their classrooms is a central issue in science education. The teacher preparation program at a large Midwestern university was modified to include a new science content course aimed at this need. A pre-/postassessment research model involved participants (N = 154) completing a…

  20. Listening to the Voices of Teacher Candidates to Design Content Area Literacy Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friedland, Ellen; Kuttesch, Elizabeth; McMillen, Susan; del Prado Hill, Pixita

    2017-01-01

    While teacher candidates take courses that prepare them to deliver content in secondary content area classrooms, they often lack the knowledge necessary to help their future students learn discipline-specific information through the use of literacy strategies. In many cases, content area teacher candidates do not view themselves as literacy…

  1. Transforming Teacher Preparation to Ensure Long-Term Improvement in STEM Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hiebert, James

    2013-01-01

    An alternative mathematics preparation program for K-8 teachers is described as an existence proof that steadily increasing effectiveness of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) preparation is possible. The program is based on treating every lesson in each of five mathematics content and methods courses as objects of study.…

  2. Practice or Theory: Situating Science Teacher Preparation within a Context of Ecojustice Philosophy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Britton, Stacey A.; Tippins, Deborah J.

    2015-01-01

    Theory is taught to preservice teachers from the moment they enter the education program until they graduate. While theory serves as the foundation in many teacher preparation courses, these future teachers must also understand the relationship it has to practice. The focus of this article is on the journey of one group of preservice secondary…

  3. Longitudinal tracking of academic progress during teacher preparation.

    PubMed

    Corcoran, Roisin P; O'Flaherty, Joanne

    2017-12-01

    Given that the ultimate academic goal of many education systems in the developed world is for students to graduate from college, grades have a considerable bearing on how effective colleges are in meeting their primary objective. Prior academic performance informs predominantly the selection and retention of teacher candidates. However, there remains a dearth of evidence linking academic performance with outcomes in teacher preparation or the workplace. This study examined pre-service teachers' trajectories of academic growth during teacher preparation. The sample comprised 398 pre-service teachers - 282 (70.8%) males and 116 (29.1%) females. Academic growth was measured across eight time points over the course of 4 years. Pre-service teachers' academic growth was analysed using linear and nonlinear latent growth models. Results indicate that academic growth was quadratic and, over time, decelerated, with no evidence of the Matthew effect or the compensatory effect. There was evidence of a connection between prior academic attainment and current grades. Greater attention to academic growth during the college years, and particularly among pre-service teachers, may enable greater achievement support for students. © 2017 The Authors. British Journal of Education Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.

  4. Scientists are from Mars, educators are from Venus: Relationships in the ecosystem of science teacher preparation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duggan-Haas, Don Andrew

    2000-10-01

    Great problems exist in science teaching from kindergarten through the college level (NRC, 1996; NSF, 1996). The problem may be attributed to the failure of teachers to integrate their own understanding of science content with appropriate pedagogy (Shulman, 1986, 1987). All teachers were trained by college faculty and therefore some of the blame for these problems rests on those faculty. This dissertation presents three models for describing secondary science teacher preparation. Two Programs, Two Cultures adapts C. P. Snow's classic work (1959) to describe the work of a science teacher candidate as that of an individual who navigates between two discrete programs: one in college science and the second in teacher education. The second model, Scientists Are from Mars, Educators Are from Venus adapts the popular work of John Gray to describe the system of science teacher education as hobbled by the dysfunctional relationships among the major players and describes the teacher as progeny from this relationship. The third model, The Ecosystem of Science Teacher Preparation reveals some of the deeper complexities of science teacher education and posits that the traditional college science approach treats students as a monoculture when great diversity in fact exists. The three models are described in the context of a large Midwestern university's teacher education program as that program is construed for future biology teachers. Four undergraduate courses typically taken by future biology teachers were observed and described: an introductory biology course; an introductory teacher education course; an upper division course in biochemistry and a senior level science teaching methods course. Seven second semester seniors who were biological Science majors were interviewed. All seven students had taken all of the courses observed. An organization of scientists and educators working together to improve science teaching from kindergarten through graduate school is also

  5. Teachers' Professional Identity: Contributions of a Critical EFL Teacher Education Course in Iran

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abednia, Arman

    2012-01-01

    This paper is a report on contributions of a critical EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher education course to Iranian teachers' professional identity reconstruction. Pre-course and post-course interviews with seven teachers, their reflective journals, class discussions, and the teacher educator's reflective journals were analyzed as guided…

  6. Preparing America's Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cruickshank, Donald R.

    This book provides an overview of the modal curriculum in teacher education, summarizing 29 teacher education reform proposals and examining six instructional approaches to teacher education. Chapter 1 describes the modal teacher preparation curriculum (general studies, content studies, professional education, integrative studies, and guidelines…

  7. Enhancing Preservice Teachers' Sense of Efficacy and Attitudes toward School Diversity through Preparation: A Case of One U.S. Inclusive Teacher Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gao, Wei; Mager, Gerald

    2011-01-01

    Conducted in one inclusive teacher education program in the United States, this study explored the trajectory of and the relationships between preservice teachers' sense of efficacy and attitudes toward school diversity through the course of preparation. Findings revealed that, in general, changes of preservice teachers' perceived efficacy,…

  8. Preparing Novice History Teachers to Meet Students' Literacy Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nokes, Jeffery D.

    2010-01-01

    In spite of calls for increased literacy instruction in secondary content classes, there appears to be little change in practice. One reason for this may be that content area literacy courses inadequately prepared teachers to teach literacy skills specific to their content area. This article describes a program that embeds content area literacy…

  9. Examining the Impact of Educational Technology Courses on Pre-Service Teachers' Development of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hsu, Pi-Sui

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the impact of educational technology courses on pre-service teachers' development of knowledge of technology integration in a teacher preparation program in the USA. The present study was conducted with eight pre-service teachers enrolled in the elementary teacher education program at a large…

  10. Course on Instruments Updates Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chemical and Engineering News, 1986

    1986-01-01

    Describes a course in chemical instrumentation for high school chemistry teachers, paid for by Union Carbide. Teachers used spectrophotometer, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, atomic absorption spectrograph, gas chromatograph, liquid chromatograph and infrared spectrophotometer. Also describes other teacher education seminars. (JM)

  11. The Impact of a Course on Bullying within the Pre-Service Teacher Training Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benitez, Juan Luis; Garcia-Berben, Ana; Fernandez-Cabezas, Maria

    2009-01-01

    Introduction: Although bullying is a phenomenon which directly affects teachers, they receive little preparation in how to handle it. One way to correct this situation is to include specific content about bullying within their initial university curriculum. We present a study that shows how a specific course on bullying affects trainee teachers'…

  12. Rating Teacher-Preparation Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Von Hippel, Paul T.; Bellows, Laura

    2018-01-01

    Recent policies intended to improve teacher quality have focused on the preparation that teachers receive before entering the classroom. A short-lived federal rule would have required every state to assess and rank teacher-preparation programs by their graduates' impact on student learning. Though the federal rule was repealed, last year some 21…

  13. Retaining Teachers: How Preparation Matters

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ingersoll, Richard; Merrill, Lisa; May, Henry

    2012-01-01

    Using data from the 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey, the authors studied how various aspects of teacher preparation affect the retention of new teachers--specifically mathematics and science teachers. They found that the preparation of new mathematics and science teachers differs from that of other new teachers in various respects, but factors…

  14. Impact of the Course Teaching and Learning of Mathematics on Preservice Grades 7 and 8 Mathematics Teachers in Singapore

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaur, Berinderjeet

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores the impact of the course "Teaching and Learning of Mathematics (Grades 7 and 8)" for the preparation of pre-service secondary mathematics teachers. It examines how pre-service teachers perceived mathematical problem solving and communicating mathematical knowledge before and after the course. The main objective of the…

  15. Fostering Awareness through Transmediation: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Critical Engagement with Multicultural Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hadjioannou, Xenia; Hutchinson, Mary

    2014-01-01

    Research has extolled the potential of transmediation in expanding learners' analytical and critical insight. However, this approach requires teachers prepared to employ this multimodal way of knowing. This study examines the impact of transmediation course experiences on pre-service teachers' comprehension of and critical engagement with…

  16. Preparation in and Use of the Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics by Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosenblum, L. Penny; Amato, Sheila

    2004-01-01

    This study examined the preparation in and use of the Nemeth braille code by 135 teachers of students with visual impairments. Almost all the teachers had taken at least one course in the Nemeth code as part of their university preparation. In their current jobs, they prepared a variety of materials, primarily basic operations, word problems,…

  17. Integrated Work Management: Preparer, Course 31883

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simpson, Lewis Edward

    The preparer (also called the “planner”) plays a key role in the integrated work management (IWM) process at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This course, Integrated Work Management: Preparer (COURSE 31883), describes the IWM roles and responsibilities of the preparer. This course also discusses IWM requirements that must be met by the preparer.

  18. Preparing Teachers as Allies in Indigenous Education: Benefits of an American Indian Content and Pedagogy Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McInnes, Brian D.

    2017-01-01

    The study explores relationship building and improvements in knowledge, skills, and dispositions of pre-service teachers enrolled in an Indigenous education content and pedagogy methods course. The Teaching American Indian Students in the Elementary Classroom course stands alone from other diversity education offerings at the University of…

  19. Elementary teachers' acquisition of science knowledge: Case-studies and implications for teaching preparation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stein, Morton

    interesting similarities and differences in how these successful elementary science teachers developed their science knowledge, and identified the following main sources of science learning opportunities: (a) science content courses; (b) methods courses; (c) student teaching; (d) in-service workshops; (e) opportunities to work with colleagues on the design and/or delivery of science units. Based on what was learned from these case studies, a preliminary set of recommendations to improve elementary teacher's science learning opportunities was identified. Two focus groups were held---one with elementary teachers and another with teacher educators---to share these preliminary recommendations and gather feedback and additional suggestions. Informed by the information gathered in these focus groups, a final set of recommendations to improve elementary teacher's preparation to teach science was articulated.

  20. Preparing Global-Ready Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larson, Lotta; Brown, Jennifer S.

    2017-01-01

    To produce global-ready students who can thrive and compete in an interconnected world, we must prepare global-ready teachers. This article shares how one teacher preparation program focuses on literacy, technology, and globalization, while offering relevant K-12 applications.

  1. Teacher Residencies: Redefining Preparation through Partnerships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coffman, Ann Nutter; Patterson, Richelle

    2014-01-01

    Teacher preparation plays a critical role in ensuring that teachers are prepared to lead and impact student learning from the first day they are responsible for student learning. The best way to ensure that every teacher is "profession-ready" from their first day as a teacher-of-record is for preparation programs to incorporate teacher…

  2. Discomfort as a Means of Pre-Service Teachers' Professional Development--An Action Research as Part of the "Research Literacy" Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amir, Aliza; Mandler, Daphna; Hauptman, Sara; Gorev, Dvora

    2017-01-01

    This paper focus on defining a research question while conducting action research among third-year students attending a course on Research Literacy at a teacher education college. This paper discusses the process of preparing for and conducting action research among third-year students attending a course on Research Literacy at a teacher education…

  3. Teach the Earth: On-line Resources for Teachers and Teachers of Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manduca, C. A.

    2007-12-01

    Effective Earth science education depends on excellent teachers: teachers who not only possess a strong grasp of geoscience but are also well-versed in the pedagogic methods they need to connect with their audience. Preparing Earth science teachers is a task no less challenging that also requires strengths in both areas. The Teach the Earth website provides a variety of resources to support preparation of Earth science teachers. Here you can find collections of teaching activities addressing all aspects of the Earth system; discussions of teaching methods linked to examples of their use in geoscience courses; and the Earth Exploration Toolbook, a resource specifically designed for teachers who would like to incorporate data rich activities in their teaching. These resources are suitable for use by teachers, students in courses addressing the methodology of teaching Earth science and science, and faculty designing courses. Faculty working with current and future teachers will find a section on Preparing Teachers to Teach Earth Science with a collection of courses designed specifically to benefit future Earth Science teachers, examples of key activities in these courses, and descriptions of programs for pre-service and in-service teachers. The materials housed in this web-resource demonstrate a wide range of fruitful approaches and exciting opportunities. On the order of 25,000 individuals use the site repeatedly during the year. We estimate that 27 percent of these users are geoscience faculty and 12 percent are teachers. We invite teachers, faculty, researchers, and educators to enhance this resource by contributing descriptions of activities, courses, or programs as a mechanism for sharing their experience with others engaged in similar work.

  4. Implementation and outcomes of inquiry-based learning in mathematics content courses for pre-service teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laursen, Sandra L.; Hassi, Marja-Liisa; Hough, Sarah

    2016-02-01

    This mixed-methods study describes classroom characteristics and student outcomes from university mathematics courses that are based in mathematics departments, targeted to future pre-tertiary teachers, and taught with inquiry-based learning (IBL) approaches. The study focused on three two-term sequences taught at two research universities, separately targeting elementary and secondary pre-service teachers. Classroom observation established that the courses were taught with student-centred methods that were comparable to those used in IBL courses for students in mathematics-intensive fields at the same institutions. To measure pre-service teachers' gains in mathematical knowledge for teaching, we administered the Learning Mathematics for Teaching (LMT) instrument developed by Hill, Ball and Schilling for in-service teacher professional development. Results from the LMT show that pre-service teachers made significant score gains from beginning to end of their course, while data from interviews and from surveys of learning gains show that pre-service teachers viewed their gains as relevant to their future teaching work. Measured changes on pre-/post-surveys of attitudes and beliefs were generally supportive of learning mathematics but modest in magnitude. The study is distinctive in applying the LMT to document pre-service teachers' growth in mathematical knowledge for teaching. The study also suggests IBL is an approach well suited to mathematics departments seeking to strengthen their pre-service teacher preparation offerings in ways consistent with research-based recommendations.

  5. Permanent Teacher Preparation for Substitute Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hardman, Steve; Tippetts, Zachary

    2001-01-01

    Presents information about what should be communicated to substitute teachers and why it is important, focusing on the substitute teacher's role, classroom management tools, curriculum management, and preparing students for the substitute teacher by creating bridges that will help minimize the sense of separation students feel when they have a…

  6. A GUIDE FOR PREPARING COURSES OF INSTRUCTION IN VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE IN MICHIGAN.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Michigan State Dept. of Public Instruction, Lansing. Div. of Vocational Education.

    THE MAJOR OBJECTIVES OF THIS DOCUMENT ARE TO ASSIST VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE TEACHERS IN DEVELOPING COURSES OF INSTRUCTION DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PERSONS PREPARING FOR GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE, AND TO HELP THOSE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED IN AGRICULTURE WHO WISH TO IMPROVE AND ADVANCE IN THEIR OCCUPATION. A CHART SHOWING A FLEXIBLE 4-YEAR…

  7. Specialized Preparation for Middle Level Teachers: A National Review of Teacher Preparation Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howell, Penny B.; Faulkner, Shawn A.; Cook, Chris M.; Miller, Nicole C.; Thompson, Nicole L.

    2016-01-01

    Since William Alexander's (1963, 1995) call for attention to the need for specialized middle level teacher preparation in 1963, 45 states have created requirements for middle level certification, licensure, or endorsement (Association for Middle Level Education [AMLE], 2014) which have led to institutions of teacher preparation creating routes…

  8. An analysis of learning in an online biology course for teachers and teacher candidates: A mixed methods approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lebec, Michael Thomas

    Due to discipline specific shortages, web-based learning has been proposed as a convenient way to upgrade the content knowledge of instructors interested in learning to teach science. Despite quantitative evidence that web-based instruction is equivalent to traditional methods, questions remain regarding its use. The efficiency and practicality of this approach with teachers in particular has not been extensively studied. This investigation examines learning in an online biology course designed to help teachers prepare for science certification exams. Research questions concern flow teachers learn biology in the online environment and how this setting influences the learning process. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies are employed in an attempt to provide a more complete perspective than typical studies of online learning. Concept maps, tests, and online discussion transcripts are compared as measures of assimilated knowledge, while interviews reflect participants' views on the course. Findings indicate that participants experienced gains in declarative knowledge, but little improvement with respect to conditional knowledge. Qualitative examination of concept maps demonstrates gaps in participants' understandings of key course ideas. Engagement in the use of online resources varied according to participants' attitudes towards online learning. Subjects also reported a lack of motivation to fully engage in the course due to busy teaching schedules and the absence of accountability.

  9. Preparing Teachers of Art.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Day, Michael, Ed.

    This collection of essays contributes to the dialogue about the preparation of art teachers. Each essay addresses one of the essential issues from a position of knowledge and experience. Essays include "Preparing Teachers of Art for the Year 2000 and Beyond" (Michael Day); "Whence Come We? What Are We? Whither Go We? Demographic…

  10. Preparing High School Physics Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Ben A., Jr.; And Others

    Reported are (1) the status of preparation of physics teachers, and (2) recommendations for improving programs preparing physics teachers. The seriously declining high school physics enrollments are attributed, in part, to the shortage, or absence, of competent teachers. The effect this might have on the future supply of physicists is a major…

  11. Impact of Teacher Preparation upon Teacher Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Redmon, Robert J.

    2007-01-01

    A cohort of students in a teacher preparation program completed questionnaires measuring their feelings of teacher self efficacy at three points in the program. Results suggest that pre-service teachers' feelings of self efficacy do improve as a result of their participation in such programs. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table. Teacher Efficacy…

  12. Physics Teacher Preparation's Role in the Transformation of a Physics Department

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kramer, Laird

    2011-04-01

    Physics teacher preparation programs offer one vehicle of creating sustained educational transformation within a physics department. Strategic implementations pave the way for developing more and better prepared physics teachers while providing a cohort of trained peer instructors to drive reform in the physics course sequence. We present the design and results of the new physics teacher preparation programs implemented at Florida International University (FIU). FIU implemented University of Colorado's Learning Assistant (LA) program in 2008, through the support of a PhysTEC Primary Partner Institute Grant. The LA program is an experiential teaching program for undergraduates that recruits and prepares future teachers while driving reform in the department, as LAs must experience research-validated curricula in order to make informed decisions about teaching in their future. FIU's Physics LA program now employs over 40 LAs, impacts over 2,000 introductory physics students per year, and is now fully sustained by university funding. The LA program's success has prompted a spread to chemistry, earth science, mathematics, and biology and serves as the foundation in the university's strategic vision. The impact is most compelling as FIU is a minority-serving urban public research institution in Miami, Florida serving over 42,000 students, of which 64% are Hispanic, 13% are Black, and 56% are women.

  13. The Blame Game in the Science Preparation of Future Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stein, Fredrick

    2003-10-01

    Who is responsible for the general lack of science preparation in our newly certified K-12 teachers? If it is true that teachers "teach as they were taught," then we must look to the college and university departments. The American Physical Society (APS), in partnership with the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and the American Institute of Physics (AIP), has initiated PhysTEC in concert with national reports calling for the improvement of K-12 science teaching. PhysTEC aims to help physics and education faculty work together to provide an education for future teachers that emphasizes a student-centered, hands-on, inquiry-based approach to learning science. An update of the first two years of the project will be given. Program components include: (1) A long-term, active collaboration between the physics and education departments; (2) A full-time Teacher-in-Residence (TIR) program that provides for a local K-12 science teacher to become a full-time participant in assisting faculty with both team-teaching and course revisions; (3) The redesign of content and pedagogy of targeted physics and education courses; and (4) The establishment of a Induction and mentoring program novice science teachers. This includes the participation of physics faculty in increasing and improving a wide array of school experiences. http://www.phystec.org/

  14. The Mathematics Education Debates: Preparing Students to Become Professionally Active Mathematics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Munakata, Mika

    2010-01-01

    The Mathematics Education Debate is an assignment designed for and implemented in an undergraduate mathematics methods course for prospective secondary school mathematics teachers. For the assignment, students read and analyze current research and policy reports related to mathematics education, prepare and present their positions, offer…

  15. Teachers' self-assessed levels of preparation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    White, Susan C.

    2016-02-01

    Every four years we survey a nationally representative sample of high school physics teachers. We define anyone who teaches at least one physics class to be a "physics teacher." About 40% of these teachers teach a majority of their classes in subjects other than physics. We also ask teachers to rate how well prepared they felt in various aspects of teaching. The response choices are "not adequately prepared," "adequately prepared," and "very well prepared." The accompanying figure shows the proportion of teachers who reported feeling adequately or very well prepared in the following aspects of teaching: • Basic physics knowledge, • Other science knowledge, • Application of physics to everyday experience, • Use of demonstrations, • Instructional laboratory design, • Use of computers in physics instruction and labs, and • Recent developments in physics.

  16. Integrating 3D Printing into an Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Course: Reflections on Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sullivan, Pamela; McCartney, Holly

    2017-01-01

    This reflection on practice describes a case study integrating 3D printing into a creativity course for preservice teachers. The theoretical rationale is discussed, and the steps for integration are outlined. Student responses and reflections on the experience provide the basis for our analysis. Examples and resources are provided, as well as a…

  17. Making Teacher Education Better: The Impact of Polling Data on a Methods of Teaching English Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlson, David Lee

    2011-01-01

    Weekly poll results were used as an intervention in this action research project to determine whether a Methods of Teaching English course could meet the needs of local preservice teachers. Results indicate that students believed that they were better prepared to teach English in secondary schools because of course materials and activities.…

  18. Changing Course: Re-Thinking Teacher Education Course Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wassermann, Selma

    2017-01-01

    In the recent past, during the 36 hours of required coursework necessary to become a certified teacher in the state of New York, not a single course deviated from the same model of teacher centered lectures and a long list of "to dos" that would presumably enable pre-service students to face 30 odd children in their own classrooms with…

  19. Impact of a Faith-Based Social Justice Course on Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Critchfield, Meredith

    2018-01-01

    Rapid demographic shifts are occurring around the country. United States' public schools are more diverse than any time in history. To help prepare pre-service teachers for these shifts, this small-scale qualitative case study explored the impact of a required social justice course for pre-service educators at a large private Christian university…

  20. Preparing Teachers for Technology Integration: Programs, Competencies, and Factors from the Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oliver, Kevin; Townsend, Latricia

    2013-01-01

    This article presents a review of recent literature about preparing teachers for technology integration. The review found six types of training programs are commonly implemented: pre-service training, long-term courses, short-term workshops and institutes, coaching/mentoring, learning communities, and product/assessment approaches. The review…

  1. The Development and Validation of a Teacher Preparation Program: Follow-Up Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schulte, Laura E.

    2008-01-01

    Students in my applied advanced statistics course for educational administration doctoral students developed a follow-up survey for teacher preparation programs, using the following scale development processes: adopting a framework; developing items; providing evidence of content validity; conducting a pilot test; and analyzing data. The students…

  2. Behavior and Classroom Management: Are Teacher Preparation Programs Really Preparing Our Teachers?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flower, Andrea; McKenna, John William; Haring, Christa D.

    2017-01-01

    Research suggests that many teachers are underprepared for the behaviors that their students may bring to the classroom, resulting in challenges to teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the behavior management content included in preservice teacher preparation programs for general education and special education teachers.…

  3. [Teacher Preparation Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Immaculate Heart Coll., Los Angeles, CA.

    Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles, California developed a self-initiated and self-directed curriculum in the Teacher Preparation Program. The curriculum was based on a spiral planning model. Emphasis was placed on continuous evaluation, exploration of the learning experience, development of experimental teacher training experiences in the…

  4. Individualizing In-Service Teacher Preparation for ISCS Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snyder, William R.

    Described is a program which attempts to prepare teachers in a fashion that approximates the instructional setting which is expected in science classrooms utilizing the Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS) programs. It is specifically designed to support the in-service preparation of ISCS teachers. It includes two basic categories of…

  5. Wisconsin Driver and Traffic Safety Education: Teacher Preparation Guide. Bulletin Number 7221.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wisconsin Univ., Whitewater.

    This guide identifies the minimum competencies necessary to teach and administer a high school driver and traffic safety education (DTSE) program and provides curricular suggestions for the University of Wisconsin System teacher preparation program. Course descriptions are listed for the following areas: general safety, traffic safety education,…

  6. Physical Education Preservice Teachers' Perceptions About Preparation for Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs.

    PubMed

    Kwon, Ja Youn; Kulinna, Pamela Hodges; van der Mars, Hans; Koro-Ljungberg, Mirka; Amrein-Beardsley, Audrey; Norris, Jason

    2018-06-01

    Physical educators may be the responsible people for implementing comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAPs) in schools. However, it is unclear whether physical education teacher education (PETE) programs provide the relevant learning opportunities to preservice teachers for CSPAP implementation. The purpose of this study was to understand preservice teachers' perspectives and experiences of CSPAP preparation in their PETE programs. Fourteen PETE students from 6 different universities participated and shared their experiences in PETE programs. Data were collected through a short survey, 1 formal interview, field images, document gathering, and an additional survey to follow up the interview. Descriptive statistics, constant comparison, and analytic induction techniques were used to analyze the data. Participants' familiarity with CSPAPs was related to positive opinions about the role of physical educators in CSPAPs. Three common themes were revealed: (a) introducing CSPAP via courses, (b) the lack of programwide hands-on experiences for CSPAP, and (c) limited preparation for social skills with stakeholders. Participants' perceptions of the role of physical educators as physical activity leaders had been expanded during their training. The participating PETE programs integrated CSPAP components in the existing courses to introduce CSPAP, while there was a lack of sufficient practical opportunities to learn how to implement (aspects of) a CSPAP. Participants felt they were insufficiently prepared to promote and implement expanded physical activity programming beyond physical education classes in schools. The majority of the PETE preservice teachers wanted more practical CSPAP experiences in their programs.

  7. "I Don't Know Why I'm Learning This": Preservice English Teachers' Engagement in a Language Development Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramanayake, Selena; Williams, Cheri

    2017-01-01

    Despite the increase of English learners in the U.S. and of standards for linguistically responsive teaching practices, teacher education programs often fall short of preparing preservice teachers to teach diverse learners. In this case study, specifically designed to improve a pedagogical course on English language development, the researchers…

  8. Teacher Educators' Views on Inclusive Education and Teacher Preparation in Ghana

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nketsia, William; Saloviita, Timo; Gyimah, Emmanuel Kofi

    2016-01-01

    The crucial role of initial teacher education programmes and teacher educators in preparing effective inclusive practitioners has been universally acknowledged. This study explored the attitudes of 125 teacher educators from four colleges of education towards inclusive education, their views and concerns about teacher preparation and the…

  9. Timetabling and Extracurricular Activities: A Study of Teachers' Attitudes towards Preparation Time

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whiteley, Robert F.; Richard, George

    2012-01-01

    Many models of timetabling exist in secondary schools in Western educational jurisdictions. This study examines whether or not teachers teaching a full course load without preparation time during a semester are willing to volunteer to participate in extracurricular activities. This research was conducted in a rural school district in British…

  10. Creating Next Generation Teacher Preparation Programs to Support Implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards in K-12 Schools: An Opportunity for the Earth and Space Sciences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geary, E. E.; Egger, A. E.; Julin, S.; Ronca, R.; Vokos, S.; Ebert, E.; Clark-Blickenstaff, J.; Nollmeyer, G.

    2015-12-01

    A consortium of two and four year Washington State Colleges and Universities in partnership with Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Teachers of Teachers of Science, and Teachers of Teachers of Mathematics, and other key stakeholders, is currently working to improve science and mathematics learning for all Washington State students by creating a new vision for STEM teacher preparation in Washington State aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Mathematics and Language Arts. Specific objectives include: (1) strengthening elementary and secondary STEM Teacher Preparation courses and curricula, (2) alignment of STEM teacher preparation programs across Washington State with the NGSS and CCSS, (3) development of action plans to support implementation of STEM Teacher Preparation program improvement at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the state, (4) stronger collaborations between HEIs, K-12 schools, government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, and STEM businesses, involved in the preparation of preservice STEM teachers, (5) new teacher endorsements in Computer Science and Engineering, and (6) development of a proto-type model for rapid, adaptable, and continuous improvement of STEM teacher preparation programs. A 2015 NGSS gap analysis of teacher preparation programs across Washington State indicates relatively good alignment of courses and curricula with NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas and Scientific practices, but minimal alignment with NGSS Engineering practices and Cross Cutting Concepts. Likewise, Computer Science and Sustainability ideas and practices are not well represented in current courses and curricula. During the coming year teams of STEM faculty, education faculty and administrators will work collaboratively to develop unique action plans for aligning and improving STEM teacher preparation courses and curricula at their institutions.

  11. Literacy Teacher Preparation: Ten Truths Teacher Educators Need to Know

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis Lenski, Susan, Ed.; Grisham, Dana L., Ed.; Wold, Linda S., Ed.

    2005-01-01

    The quality of teacher preparation is frequently under public scrutiny. In this collection, experts in literacy teacher preparation offer ten truths--based on evidence, not ideology-- that support the ongoing positive efforts of teacher educators. In this book, the reader will find: A review of the existing knowledge base; Evidence of the improved…

  12. Effects of Using Early Pre-Service Field Experiences in Urban Settings To Prepare Teachers To Meet the Challenges of Teaching in Multicultural Urban Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heinemann, Harry; And Others

    Jersey City State College (New Jersey) has assumed, as its primary mission, the challenge to address urban concerns, including urban teacher preparation. The revamped Junior Field Experience Program (JFE) is a required course for all prospective teachers. This requirement intends to prepare prospective teachers to deal with cultural diversity by…

  13. Preparing Novice Teacher Educators in the Pedagogy of Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conklin, Hilary G.

    2015-01-01

    In this article, the author provides a conceptual framework to guide the design of coursework to prepare teacher educators. Given the absence of a stronger research base to inform the preparation of novice teacher educators, the author argues that theoretical perspectives focused on K-12 preservice teacher learning can be a useful heuristic for…

  14. Theory to Practice through Teacher Inquiry Courses in a Graduate Program: Two Teachers' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keat, Jane Blakely

    2005-01-01

    Our graduate degree program includes a component of six one-credit courses, in which teachers find ways to bring into their own classroom practices theory learned in related three-credit courses. Prior research indicates that taking course work alone may not bring about changes in teachers' decision-making. Prior research also encourages higher…

  15. Race "Still" Matters: Preparing Culturally Relevant Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Durden, Tonia; Dooley, Caitlin McMunn; Truscott, Diane

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative study explores racial identity development of teacher candidates during a teacher preparation program dedicated to preparing teachers for diverse classrooms. Two black teacher candidates in the US demonstrate their racial identity development through critical reflections offered throughout the program. Findings suggest that…

  16. Grand Challenges in Physics Education Research: Teacher Preparation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heron, Paula

    2015-04-01

    The courses, curricula and programs that produce new K-12 teachers have been the subject of research in the physics education community for many years. In terms of recruitment, curricula, and mentoring, programs and pathways vary considerably from institution to institution. Each program addresses many different aspects of teaching including knowledge of the content and familiarity with best teaching practices. At the same time, even within physics (or physical science) there is a broad range of student outcomes that are considered important, including acquisition of factual knowledge, development of skill with disciplinary practices, and positive attitudes toward the discipline and one's own abilities. Given the broad range of both input and outcome variables it is no surprise that there are very few clear answers about the impact of teacher preparation on teachers, students and society. In this talk I will summarize some of the main findings to date, and identify some areas where much more research is needed.

  17. Enhancing Moral and Ethical Judgment through the Use of Case Histories: An Ethics Course for Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mc Danel de García, Mary Anne

    2013-01-01

    This article refers to an action research project involving pre-service teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine if specific learning outcomes could be successfully employed as objectives for an ethics course for preservice teacher preparation. Real life case histories were used by students to identify and reflect upon moral and…

  18. Listening to Early Career Teachers: How Can Elementary Mathematics Methods Courses Better Prepare Them to Utilize Standards-Based Practices in Their Classrooms?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coester, Lee Anne

    2010-01-01

    This study was designed to gather input from early career elementary teachers with the goal of finding ways to improve elementary mathematics methods courses. Multiple areas were explored including the degree to which respondents' elementary mathematics methods course focused on the NCTM Process Standards, the teachers' current standards-based…

  19. Development of an ICT in IBSE course for science teachers: A design-based research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tran, Trinh-Ba

    2018-01-01

    Integration of ICT tools for measuring with sensors, analyzing video, and modelling into Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) is a need globally recognized. The challenge to teachers is how to turn manipulation of equipment and software into manipulation of ideas. We have developed a short ICT in IBSE course to prepare and support science teachers to teach inquiry-based activities with ICT tools. Within the framework of design-based research, we first defined the pedagogical principles from the literature, developed core materials for teacher learning, explored boundary conditions of the training in different countries, and elaborated set-ups of the course for the Dutch, Slovak, and Vietnamese contexts. Next, we taught and evaluated three iterative cycles of the Dutch course set-ups for pre-service science teachers from four teacher-education institutes nationwide. In each cycle, data on the teacher learning was collected via observations, questionnaires, interviews, and documents. These data were then analyzed for the questions about faithful implementation and effectiveness of the course. Following the same approach, we taught and evaluated two cycles of the Slovak course set-ups for in-service science teachers in the context of the national accreditation programme for teacher professional development. In addition, we investigated applicability of the final Dutch course set-up in the context of the physics-education master program in Vietnam with adaptations geared to educational and cultural difference. Through the iterations of implementation, evaluation, and revision, eventually the course objectives were achieved to certain extent; the pedagogical principles and core materials proved to be effective and applicable in different contexts. We started this research and design project with the pedagogical principles and concluded it with these principles (i.e. complete theory-practice cycle, depth first, distributed learning, and ownership of learning) as the

  20. Initial Teacher Training Courses and Non-Native Speaker Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Jason

    2016-01-01

    This article reports on a study contrasting 41 native speakers (NSs) and 38 non-native speakers (NNSs) of English from two short initial teacher training courses, the Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults and the Trinity College London CertTESOL. After a brief history and literature review, I present findings on teachers'…

  1. Examining Primary Pre-Service Teachers' Perspectives on Teaching Practice Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Basturk, Savas

    2016-01-01

    The courses "school experience" and "teaching practice" are undoubtedly among the central courses to be received by pre-service teachers who will be future teachers. Through them, pre-service teachers obtain the realistic information about their profession. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine pre-service teachers'…

  2. A new inter-professional course preparing learners for life in rural communities.

    PubMed

    Medves, Jennifer; Paterson, Margo; Chapman, Christine Y; Young, John H; Tata, Elizabeth; Bowes, Denise; Hobbs, Neil; McAndrews, Brian; O'Riordan, Anne

    2008-01-01

    The 'Professionals in Rural Practice' course was developed with the aim of preparing students enrolled in professional programs in Canada to become better equipped for the possible eventuality of professional work in a rural setting. To match the reality of living and working in a rural community, which by nature is interprofessional, the course designers were an interprofessional teaching team. In order to promote group cohesiveness the course included the participation of an interprofessional group of students and instructors from the disciplines of medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, teacher education, and theology. The format of the course included three-hour classes over an eight-week period and a two-day field experience in a rural community. The course utilized various experiential and interactive teaching and learning methods, along with a variety of assessment methods. Data were collected from student participants over two iterations of the course using a mixed methods approach. Results demonstrate that students value the interprofessional and experiential approach to learning and viewed this course as indispensable for gaining knowledge of other professions and preparation for rural practice. The data reveal important organizational and pedagogical considerations specific to interprofessional education, community based action research, and the unique interprofessional nature of training for life and work in a rural community. This study also indicates the potential value of further longitudinal study of participants in this course. Key words: Canada, community based action research, education, interdisciplinary, interprofessional.

  3. Strange bedfellows in science teacher preparation: conflicting perspectives on social justice presented in a Teach For America—university partnership

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNew-Birren, Jill; Hildebrand, Tyra; Belknap, Gabrielle

    2017-02-01

    Teach For America (TFA), a widespread and well-known route into the teaching profession, frequently partners with university-based education programs to prepare and certify its corps members. However, university-based teacher education programs frequently emphasize very different understandings of socially just education and priorities for training teachers from those of TFA. Accordingly, science teachers trained through TFA-university partnerships encounter conflicting understandings of science education, justice, and urban communities as they are introduced to teaching practice. In this ethnographic case study we explored the experiences and reactions of a cohort of TFA corps members in a science methods course as they engaged with TFA's perspective focused primarily on enhancing students' social mobility and the methods course emphasizing democratic equality through scientific engagement. The study considers intersections between TFA's approach to teacher preparation and sociocultural perspectives on equitable science teaching. The study also lends insight into the contradictions and challenges through which TFA science teachers develop understandings about their role as science teachers, purposes and goals of science education, and identities of the students and communities they serve.

  4. Teachers' Self-Assessed Level of Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Susan

    2013-01-01

    We asked high school physics teachers to assess their level of preparation across a number of domains. Almost all (98%) reported feeling adequately or well prepared in terms of their basic physics knowledge. The chart presents teachers' responses to their self-assessed level of preparation in six different areas. Almost all feel at least…

  5. Influence of Teacher Preparation Programmes on Preservice Teachers' Attitudes toward Inclusion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Ji-Ryun

    2011-01-01

    With the increased implementation of inclusive education, teacher educators have been challenged to make changes in programmes to prepare preservice teachers to educate diverse learners. These changes are reflected in various types of teacher preparation programmes that are transformations of traditional general education and special education…

  6. AMS Professional Development Courses: Arming K-12 Teachers with the Tools Needed to Increase Students' Scientific Literacy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brey, J. A.; Geer, I. W.; Weinbeck, R. S.; Moran, J. M.; Nugnes, K. A.

    2012-12-01

    To better prepare tomorrow's leaders, it is of utmost importance that today's teachers are science literate. To meet that need, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Education Program offers content-rich, professional development courses and training workshops for precollege teachers in the geosciences. During the fall and spring semesters, the AMS in partnership with NOAA, NASA, and SUNY Brockport, offers a suite of pre-college teacher development courses, DataStreme Atmosphere, DataStreme Ocean and DataStreme Earth's Climate System (ECS). These courses are delivered to small groups of K-12 teachers through Local Implementation Teams (LITs) positioned throughout the U.S. The courses use current, real-world environmental data to investigate the atmosphere, ocean, and climate system and consist of weekly online study materials, weekly mentoring, and several face-to-face meetings, all supplemented by a provided textbook and investigations manual. DataStreme ECS takes an innovative approach to studying climate science, by exploring the fundamental science of Earth's climate system and addressing the societal impacts relevant to today's students and teachers. The course investigates natural and human forcings and feedbacks to examine mitigation and adaptation strategies for the future. Information and data from respected organizations, such as the IPCC, the US Global Change Research Program, NASA, and NOAA are used throughout the course, including in the online and printed investigations. In addition, participants differentiate between climate, climate variability, and climate change through the AMS Conceptual Energy Model, a basic climate model that follows the flow of energy from space to Earth and back. Participants also have access to NASA's EdGCM, a research-grade Global Climate Model where they can explore various future climate scenarios in the same way that actual research scientists do. Throughout all of the courses, teachers have the opportunity to expand

  7. Implementation of an Environmental Education Course to Improve Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Environmental Literacy and Self-Efficacy Beliefs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saribas, Deniz; Kucuk, Zerrin Doganca; Ertepinar, Hamide

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to investigate effects of a treatment implemented in an environmental education course on pre-service elementary teachers' environmental literacy and self-efficacy beliefs. During the course, 58 participants were informed about basic concepts of ecology, went to climate change exhibition, and prepared presentations and reflections…

  8. Teacher Leadership and Teacher Preparation: A Personal Narrative

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snyder, Jon

    2015-01-01

    This personal narrative describes the efforts of a teacher education institution to understand and introduce teacher leadership into the preparation of teachers. The author provides the history and context of the institution as well as the structures and processes the institution used to achieve these goals. The article concludes with lessons…

  9. Courses of Study for the Preparation of Teachers of Manual Arts. Bulletin, 1918, No. 37

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siepert, Albert F.

    1919-01-01

    The study presented in this bulletin shows considerable variation in the subjects included in the curriculum set up for prospective teachers. There is, however, a growing tendency toward a common standard, and the two-year courses are coming to have many elements in common both as to subject matter and methods of procedure. For example, in many…

  10. Teachers' and students' reactions to the Revised Nuffield A-Level Physics Course (RNAP)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sela, David

    1990-07-01

    A battery of questionnaires and interviews with teachers and students experienced in RNAP, produced statistical data on many aspects of the course that leads to some guidelines and suggestions for better use of the course design and materials. The patterns described in this article relate to the responses of almost 200 teachers and about 100 students who were teaching and studying RNAP course during school year 1987/8. Though many of them criticised some aspects of the course, generally they were very enthusiastic about it and most of the information they gave us was accurate and reliable. The A-level physics teachers can choose either a `traditional' course or RNAP. We found that most of them don't like to change from one course to another. In the few cases it was done, the reasons generally were like `changing of school', `decreasing number of A-level physics students' or similar reasons. Most of RNAP teachers were keen about the course, its objectives and the way it prepares the students toward higher education as physicists or in other areas. Though pointing out its weaknesses, when comparing it with a `traditional' course, they stress much upon its advantages. We found a tendency to favour the course for the able student than for the weak or the average one. There was more than a feeling among teachers that the less motivated student can better succeed in a `traditional' course. This feeling became even stronger along the interviews where some teachers pointed out the high proportion of the selective schools doing RNAP, which made it more difficult (according to their feeling) for the average student to get an A or B grade. In some of the teachers' opinions RNAP is less suitable for girls who prefer a more `straightforward' course. It is interesting to point out that more than 50% of the students found the course more difficult than they expected it to be. Only 5% found it to be easier than they had suggested. Another point to think about is that almost one

  11. Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) Courses for Creating New Chemistry and Physics Teachers: Do They Work?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tynan, Richard; Mallaburn, Andrea; Jones, Robert Bryn; Clays, Ken

    2014-01-01

    During extended subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses, graduates without chemistry or physics bachelor degrees prepared to enter a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme to become chemistry or physics teachers. Data were gathered from the exit survey returned by Liverpool John Moores University SKE students about to start…

  12. Troubling Methods-Centric "Teacher Production": Social Foundations in Dance Education Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Risner, Doug; Barr, Sherrie

    2015-01-01

    Preparing dance specialist teachers to successfully educate an increasingly diverse student population highlights a number of challenges within an educational policy landscape characterized by technical production, methods-centric teacher preparation, teacher-proof curriculum, and standardization. The ramifications of these policies have…

  13. Preparing Perservice Teachers to Teach Elementary School Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Amy D.

    2017-01-01

    The development of scientifically literate citizens begins in the elementary school. Yet elementary school teachers are ill prepared to teach science (Trygstad, Smith, Banilower, Nelson, & Horizon Research, Inc., 2013). The research base on teacher preparation finds that programs designed to prepare elementary teachers are inadequate in…

  14. Perceived Helpfulness of Teachers in Clinical Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moate, Randall M.; Holm, Jessica M.; West, Erin M.

    2017-01-01

    Clinical courses are important in the development of students pursuing a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling (CMHC). Despite the importance of clinical courses, little is known about what CMHC students perceive as being helpful about their teachers of clinical courses. To investigate this, we sought the viewpoints of beginning…

  15. Should We Extend Teacher Preparation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawley, Willis D.

    1989-01-01

    Discusses the implications of five-year teacher preparation programs. Argues that different strategies and curricula should be tested and evaluated before mandating major system-wide changes in teacher certification requirements. (FMW)

  16. An Economic Course for Elementary School Teachers. Second Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lovell, Hugh; Harter, Charlotte

    This handbook is intended to help economic educators develop teacher training courses for demonstrating to classroom teachers how to teach economics to children, grades 1-9. Teachers enrolled in the course carry out their own pupil activities which teach economic ideas. These activities include problem solving, case studies, skits, making posters,…

  17. Pre-Service Teachers Observations of Experienced Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jenkins, Jayne M.

    2014-01-01

    Assigning pre-service teachers to observe experienced teachers is a common practice in teacher preparation programs. The purpose of this study was to identify what physical education pre-service teachers observe when watching an experienced teacher. While enrolled in a methods of teaching physical education course and engaged in their second…

  18. Content Area Reading Instruction for Secondary Teacher Candidates: A Case Study of a State-Required Online Content Area Reading Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biggs, Brad

    2014-01-01

    This dissertation examined in a state-required, online preservice teacher course in content area reading instruction (CARI) at a large land-grant university in Minnesota. Few studies have been published to date on revitalized literacy teacher preparation efforts in CARI (See Vagle, Dillon, Davison-Jenkins, & LaDuca, 2005; Dillon, O'Brien,…

  19. Reconceptualizing Elementary Teacher Preparation: A case for informal science education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Avraamidou, Lucy

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this case study was to explore the ways in which 3 different informal science experiences in the context of an elementary methods course influenced a group of prospective elementary teachers' ideas about science teaching and learning as well as their understandings about the role of informal science environments to teaching and learning. In order to address this question, data were collected in a period of an academic semester through the following sources: journal entries for each of the 3 experiences, a personal teaching philosophy statement and a 2-hour long semi-structured interview with each of the 12 participants. Open coding techniques were used to analyze the data in order to construct categories and subcategories and eventually to identify emerging themes. The outcomes of the analysis showed that the inclusion of informal science experiences in the context of teacher preparation has the potential to support beginning elementary teachers' development of contemporary ideas about science teaching and learning related to inquiry-based science, the nature of scientific work and the work of scientists, connecting science with everyday life, and making science fun and personally meaningful. These findings are discussed alongside implications for policy, teacher preparation, and research under these themes: (a) addressing reform recommendations; (b) developing positive orientations toward science and science teaching; and (c) constructing understandings about scientists' work.

  20. University-Based Teacher Preparation and Middle Grades Teacher Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Preston, Courtney

    2017-01-01

    For over two decades, there have been calls to assess the relationship of the features of teacher preparation programs to teacher effectiveness, to provide guidance for program improvement. At the middle grades level, theory suggests that coursework in educational psychology is particularly important for teacher effectiveness. Using 4 years of…

  1. Trends and Challenges in Teacher Preparation in Deaf Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lenihan, Susan

    2010-01-01

    Recent developments in deaf education are influencing teacher preparation programs, which are facing challenges in meeting the critical need for highly qualified teachers. Of approximately 65 teacher preparation programs in the United States, 11 programs focus primarily on preparing teachers to work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing…

  2. Understanding Teacher Effectiveness: Providing Feedback to Teacher Preparation Programs. Data for Action 2014

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Data Quality Campaign, 2014

    2014-01-01

    State leaders are increasingly focused on improving college and university programs that prepare teachers as a route to a high-quality teacher workforce. This work requires significant data capacity to reliably and securely link teachers with their students' achievement and growth data with the state's teacher preparation programs. This fact sheet…

  3. Course Structure Matters in Initial Teacher Education: Student Teachers' Perceptions of Impacts on Their Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hogg, Linda; Yates, Anne

    2013-01-01

    This formative evaluation within a graduate initial teacher education program sought to identify student teachers' perceptions of lecturer practice and its influence on their developing practice. Data collected from course and teaching evaluations and focus group interviews suggested that microstructural course elements--lectures, tutorials, and…

  4. Well-Prepared Teachers Inspire Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pecheone, Raymond L.; Whittaker, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    This is an era of transformation in the preparation, induction, and assessment of prospective teachers. The tension between local and state control is at the heart of the debate. States should be responsible for establishing performance standards that ensure that new teachers are well-prepared, competent, and ready to teach. This is why the…

  5. Teacher Preparation: Reforming the Uncertain Profession

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duncan, Arne

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, the Arne Duncan, the United States Secretary of Education, discusses the need for a sea change in America's schools of education, and focuses on the need to improve teacher preparation programs. Many schools of education have provided high-quality preparation programs for aspiring teachers for years. In the last decade, many…

  6. Nurse teacher candidates learned to use social media during the international teacher training course.

    PubMed

    Salminen, Leena; Gustafsson, Marja-Liisa; Vilén, Liisa; Fuster, Pilar; Istomina, Natalja; Papastavrou, Evridiki

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the nurse teacher candidates' learning outcomes and experiences in social media during the international nurse teacher training course, Empowering learning environments in nursing education, Intensive Program (EleneIP). The pre-post research design was used. The data was collected before and after the course, with the questionnaire consisting of structured and open questions. Altogether, 24 nurse teacher candidates from four different European countries participated in the course and this study. The results showed that the knowledge of using social media applications increased during the course from 5.2 (range 1-9) to 8.1 (range 4-10), and their skills increased from 4.5 (range 1-8) to 7.6 (range 4-10).The main topics learnt during the course were divided in two categories: subjects of the course and teaching and learning methods. The students' experiences concerning the EleneIP course were positive in both categories. The international group created during EleneIP course also allowed the students to achieve another important aim, learning from a collaborative group the importance and possibilities of different learning environments, considering the cultural and social characteristics of each country participating in it. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Preparing Teachers to Integrate Technology into K-12 Instruction: Comparing a Stand-Alone Technology Course with a Technology-Infused Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buss, Ray R.; Wetzel, Keith; Foulger, Teresa S.; Lindsey, LeeAnn

    2015-01-01

    We compared the effectiveness of learning technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) domain knowledge in a new technology-infused approach for teaching technology to teacher candidates with a more traditional, stand-alone course. In the new approach, learning to use technology is infused into program methods courses. Candidates all…

  8. "Miss, I Am Not Being Fully Prepared": Student-Teachers' Concerns about Their Preparation at a Teacher Training Institution in Jamaica

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roofe, Carmel G.; Miller, Paul

    2013-01-01

    The issue of teacher preparation continues to occupy academic discourse relating to student outcomes and student achievement (Stronge, Ward & Grant, 2011). Research has supported the view that there is an inextricable connection between student outcomes, quality of teaching and teachers, and teacher preparation (Darling-Hammond 2005; Grover…

  9. Primarily Statistics: Developing an Introductory Statistics Course for Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Jennifer L.; Blankenship, Erin E.

    2013-01-01

    We developed an introductory statistics course for pre-service elementary teachers. In this paper, we describe the goals and structure of the course, as well as the assessments we implemented. Additionally, we use example course work to demonstrate pre-service teachers' progress both in learning statistics and as novice teachers. Overall, the…

  10. Preparing Globally Competent Teachers: Indo-German Perspectives on Teacher Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Darji, Brijesh B.; Lang-Wojtasik, Gregor

    2014-01-01

    Globalization has an immense effect on education. Education relies on the teacher and the process by which teachers are developed. In this context, the expectations of teacher role and options for teacher preparation today have key roles to play in educating children to become responsible citizens of increasingly multicultural societies and active…

  11. Preparing teachers of the gifted

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cropley, Arthur; McLeod, John

    1986-06-01

    There is widespread agreement that gifted children are best served by specially qualified teachers. In addition to special knowledge and skills, such teachers need special personal qualities, which means that it may not be possible for all teachers to be equally effective with gifted youngsters. In the case of teacher training, this raises the question of whether there may not be `personal characteristics' whose presence prior to commencement of training is necessary for, or at least helpful in, the development of appropriate `professional characteristics' during the course of training. Other important issues in the training of teachers of the gifted are those of whether it should be delivered at undergraduate or postgraduate level, whether or not all teachers should receive certain basic training, and what role is to be played by in-service training.

  12. Are Teacher Course Evaluations Biased against Faculty That Teach Quantitative Methods Courses?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Royal, Kenneth D.; Stockdale, Myrah R.

    2015-01-01

    The present study investigated graduate students' responses to teacher/course evaluations (TCE) to determine if students' responses were inherently biased against faculty who teach quantitative methods courses. Item response theory (IRT) and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) techniques were utilized for data analysis. Results indicate students…

  13. From a Well-Prepared Teacher to an On-the-Spot Facilitator: A Reflection on Delivering an Active Learning Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Hyowon

    2015-01-01

    In this article, I describe my experience of preparing and delivering a brand new computing undergraduate course in a new university and in doing so, share how the special institutional push of the active learning pedagogy of the university changed the way I prepared and delivered the course, and ended up transforming my own view of teaching. I…

  14. Designing Higher Education Courses and other Professional Development to Engender Science Teachers' Enthusiasm to Embrace the New Generation Science Standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Welstead, C.; Forder, S. E.

    2014-12-01

    This presentation is an overview of best practices in the design of continuing education courses and professional development workshops for Science teachers to enable them to transition to the NGSS; to share their enthusiasm in a way that engages students and leads to increased student achievement; and to become change agents in their educational settings and in their communities, in order to garner widespread support for an inquiry-based, NGSS-based curriculum. Proposed strands for teacher preparation programmes include a focus on higher level conceptual thinking; problem-solving opportunities for learning; inquiry-based learning; experiential learning and fieldwork; the authentic and effective incorporation of technology in teaching and learning; integrated and cross-curricular teaching and learning; learning that supports diversity and equity; and the appropriate, reliable and valid assessment of understanding. A series of three courses has been developed to prepare teachers in a graduate programme for implementing an inquiry-based, standards-based Science curriculum that incorporates the above-mentioned strands.

  15. School-to-Work and Inclusion in General Education Teacher Preparation Programs: Instructional Modules for Middle Childhood Subject Area Methods Courses.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamill, Lee B.; Geer, Cindy H.

    Six instructional modules for middle childhood subject area methods courses are designed to target students in preservice middle childhood general education programs. The modules have been developed for each of the content area methods courses to ensure all preservice teachers have ample exposure to the school-to-work (STW) philosophy and…

  16. Examining Collaboration in Teacher Preparation and Clinical Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pellegrino, Anthony; Weiss, Margaret P.

    2017-01-01

    Collaboration among educators is a vital component for teachers' success working with diverse students. Teacher preparation programs, however, have not sufficiently included experiences in which teacher candidates can learn about professional collaboration in preparation for clinical and professional experiences. In this article, the authors…

  17. Teaching Rocks and Minerals in the Context of Dynamic Earth Systems and Interactions: Using the Three Dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards as an Organizing Framework to Engage Learners in Teacher Preparation Courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brady, M. E.; Nelson, F.

    2014-12-01

    The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for a shift from science learning as a fixed body of decontextualized facts toward a deliberate integration of three dimensions that transcend instructional level: 1) Disciplinary Core Ideas, 2) Crosscutting concepts, and 3) Science & Engineering Practices. This new approach to K-12 science education requires a dedicated effort to address teacher preparation in ESS. Here, we present an instructional model that explicitly integrates the three dimensions of the NGSS as an organizing framework in large-enrollment, undergraduate introductory geoscience courses targeted toward future teachers. This curriculum development is part of a campus-wide collaboration among science, engineering, and education faculty to enhance science teacher preparation. This approach reflects NGSS conceptual shifts and promotes a learner-centered environment where students regularly engage with each other and course material as part of the course: 1) In terms of content, Earth systems and interactions, are emphasized; rocks and minerals are discussed in the context of their use to understand and predict changes over Earth's past, present, and future; and engineering and technology are incorporated into discussions of mediating human impacts on Earth systems. 2) Cross-cutting concepts, such as cycles and flows, are explicitly referenced throughout the course to promote connections between and application of prior knowledge and new information or situations. 3) Guided by explicit prompts for partner discussions in class, students regularly engage in scientific practices, such as arguing by evidence and constructing an explanation. We will provide examples of student learning assessment, including in-class responses pre- and post- partner discussions, short written reflections, and cumulative projects. Ongoing evaluation of this instructional approach will include pre- and post- Geoscience Concept Inventory responses.

  18. Integrating Graduate Coursework to Prepare Alternatively Certified Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heineke, Amy J.; Preach, Deborah

    2013-01-01

    In this article, we describe our innovative work as teacher educators to integrate coursework for alternatively certified teachers. Rather than maintain boundaries among individual courses for new elementary teachers, explicit connections support first-year teachers professional learning and aid in the immediate application to classroom practice.…

  19. Analysis of Syllabi Intending to Prepare Teachers to Be Data Literate: An Interim Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    WestEd, 2013

    2013-01-01

    This report documents the work of one component of a larger research effort. The objective of the project is to understand what schools of education are doing to prepare teachers to use data in their practice. The issue is multifaceted, complex, and systemic. Schools of education do not act alone to suddenly introduce courses on data-driven…

  20. Microteaching Lesson Study: An Approach to Prepare Teacher Candidates to Teach Science through Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhou, George; Xu, Judy

    2017-01-01

    Inquiry-based teaching has become the most recommended approach in science education for a few decades; however, it is not a common practice yet in k-12 school classrooms. In order to prepare future teachers to teach science through inquiry, a Microteaching Lesson Study (MLS) approach was employed in our science methods courses. Instead of asking…

  1. The Effects of a Teaching Methods Course on Early Childhood Preservice Teachers' Beliefs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Isikoglu, Nesrin

    2008-01-01

    This study examines the effectiveness of an educational methods course for changing early childhood preservice teachers' instructional beliefs. The teaching methods course emphasized constructivist teaching principles. Seventy-eight of the early childhood education preservice teachers who were enrolled in this course filled out the Teacher Belief…

  2. Decategorizing Teacher Preparation in Special Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephens, Thomas M.; Joseph, Ellis A.

    1982-01-01

    The authors propose a model for preparing special education teachers which accepts those differences among students that require categorical decisions for instructional pruposes but not those categories existing as mere historical artifacts. Three noncategorical teacher training programs are described, and six clusters of teacher competencies are…

  3. "Dropbox" Brings Course Management Back to Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niles, Thaddeus M.

    2013-01-01

    Course management software (CMS) allows teachers to deliver content electronically and manage collaborative coursework, either blending with face-to-face interactions or as the core of an entirely virtual classroom environment. CMS often takes the form of an electronic storehouse of course materials with which students can interact, a virtual…

  4. Earth System Science: Problem-based Learning Courses for Teachers Through ESSEA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Close, E.; Witiw, M. R.

    2007-12-01

    One method that has proven effective in the study of Earth system science is to use a problem-based and event- centered course organization. In such a course, different events that occur in the Earth system are examined and how each event influences subsequent events in each of Earth's spheres (the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and lithosphere) is studied. A course is composed of several problem-based modules, where each module is centered about a particular event or issue that is important to the Earth system. The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) was recently awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation's Geo-Teach program to develop and implement courses for teachers in Earth system science. Through the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA), IGES subsequently made awards to a group of 24 universities. Under the ESSEA program, problem-based modules are being developed for courses for middle school and high school teachers. In a typical university schedule, each module is designed to last three weeks and includes both group work and individual assignments. In the first week ("Teacher as Problem Solver"), participants explore their own ideas concerning the event and exchange their ideas with other members of their group. In the second week ("Teacher as Scholar"), participants research the issue and become more familiar with the event and the sphere-to-sphere interactions that occur. In the last week ("Teacher as Designer"), each participant develops a lesson plan for his or her own classroom. Current ESSEA modules cover topics such as volcanoes, Brazilian deforestation, Antarctic ice sheets, coral reefs, and stratospheric ozone depletion. Many new modules are under development with topics that range from plate tectonics and tsunamis to agriculture and sustainable water systems. Seattle Pacific University, in cooperation with Seattle Public Schools, was recently awarded a three-year grant by IGES to provide Earth system

  5. Preparing Elementary Prospective Teachers to Teach Early Algebra

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hohensee, Charles

    2017-01-01

    Researchers have argued that integrating early algebra into elementary grades will better prepare students for algebra. However, currently little research exists to guide teacher preparation programs on how to prepare prospective elementary teachers to teach early algebra. This study examines the insights and challenges that prospective teachers…

  6. Aligning University-Based Teacher Preparation and New STEM Teacher Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schuster, Dwight; Buckwalter, John; Marrs, Kathy; Pritchett, Sheila; Sebens, Jeremy; Hiatt, Bill

    2012-01-01

    This article is intended to help teacher educators, administrators, and mentor teachers envision how to support beginning STEM teachers as they transition from university-based preservice preparation into their first year of classroom teaching in high-need schools. Based on our experiences, and grounded in the associated research and literature,…

  7. Peter Effect in the Preparation of Reading Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Binks-Cantrell, Emily; Washburn, Erin K.; Joshi, R. Malatesha; Hougen, Martha

    2012-01-01

    The Peter Effect (Applegate & Applegate, 2004) claimed that one cannot be expected to give what one does not possess. We applied this notion to reading teacher preparation and hypothesized that teacher educators who do not possess an understanding of basic language constructs would not prepare teacher candidates with an understanding of these…

  8. Preparing Teachers to Train the Next Generation of Scientists with the AMS DataStreme Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abshire, W. E.; Geer, I. W.; Weinbeck, R. S.; Mills, E. W.; Nugnes, K. A.; Stimach, A. E.

    2016-12-01

    K-12 teacher professional development rich in content and pedagogical methods and materials for implementation of STEM concepts in the classroom will enhance teacher preparation and practice, and ultimately student learning is the purpose of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) DataStreme Project. DataStreme Atmosphere, Ocean, and Earth's Climate System (ECS) are offered each fall and spring semester by Local Implementation Teams across the country in coordination with AMS Education Program scientists and educators. Participants may receive 3 tuition-free graduate credits through State University of New York's The College at Brockport upon completion of each course and construction of a Plan of Action for peer-training. Peer training is a key focus of DataStreme. Based on survey results, a DataStreme participant impacts an average of up to 10 other teachers and over 350 students within two years of training. Therefore, the 220 teachers who completed a DataStreme course in fall 2015 will likely reach over 2000 teachers and close to 77,000 students within two years. Further, DataStreme improves teachers' pedagogical abilities. According to the fall 2015 pre-survey of DataStreme ECS participants, approximately 15% of participants rated their pedagogical abilities in the Superior or Exemplary levels (highest rankings). On the post-survey, 59% of participants fell in these categories, clearly highlighting the positive shift. This survey also revealed teachers' ability to use climate-science content to stimulate student interests. The AMS looks to further this success with redevelopment of a previously offered K-12 teacher professional development course focused on water. From 2001-2008, AMS offered DataStreme Water in the Earth System, training 3145 teachers on the global water cycle. AMS is eager to continue helping teachers and students improve their understanding of water processes and overall environmental science literacy.

  9. Early Childhood Teacher Preparation: A Tale of Authors and Multimedia, A Model of Technology Integration Described.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wetzel, Keith; McLean, S. V.

    1997-01-01

    Describes collaboration of two teacher educators, one in early childhood language arts and one in computers in education. Discusses advantages and disadvantages and extensions of this model, including how a college-wide survey revealed that students in teamed courses are better prepared to teach and learn with technology. (DR)

  10. Preparing Quality Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Corinne; Eady, Michelle; Andersen, Peter

    2018-01-01

    There are many factors that impact student learning, with quality educators being one of the most important elements for student success. Accordingly, the promotion of quality teacher preparation programs has become a priority for tertiary institutions, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. There is a known disparity between tertiary…

  11. Preparing Quality Teachers: Making Learning Visible

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McArdle, Felicity

    2010-01-01

    Teacher quality is recognised as a lynchpin for education reforms internationally, and both Federal and State governments in Australia have turned their attention to teacher education institutions: the starting point for preparing quality teachers. Changes to policy and shifts in expectations impact on Faculties of Education, despite the fact that…

  12. Using AN Essea Earth Systems Science Course in a Web-Enhanced Setting for Pre-Service Middle School Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slattery, W.

    2003-12-01

    The ESSEA Middle School course was originally designed as an asynchronous on-line tool for teacher professional development. The ESSEA course uses real world events such as deforestation, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes to develop content understandings of Earth systems processes and to model pedagogical best practices appropriate for middle school students. The course is structured as multiple three-week learning cycles. During week one of each cycle, participants are formed into Sphere groups to study the impact of the event under consideration on the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, or lithosphere. During week two, Event teams are formed to include members from each of the previous week's Sphere groups. Together they develop interactions between the different spheres and the event. During week three, teachers develop classroom applications and post them on-line for other participants to comment upon. On-going assessment suggests that in-service teacher participants of the on-line course are more likely to infuse inquiry-based science instruction into their classroom settings and to teach science as a subject integrating Physical science, Life science, and Earth/Space science in their own classrooms It is imperative to develop such characteristics in pre-service teachers as well. Wright State University's undergraduate Middle School teacher preparation program requires that undergraduates seeking Middle Childhood Licensure by the State of Ohio take a course in Earth Systems science that is aligned with the national and state science education standards. Towards this end the ESSEA course has been adapted for use in a web-enhanced setting. Weeks one and two (Sphere and Event study) of the ESSEA Middle School course are used as an integral component of this Earth Systems science course. In this way content knowledge and pedagogical strategies are modeled just as they are in the fully on-line course. Questions raised on-line are the topic of research or

  13. Teaching the Writing Methods Course: A Multiple Case Study of Teachers' Professional Journeys, Teaching Contexts, Theoretical Frames, and Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sovis, Kristin A. K.

    2014-01-01

    This study, situated within the fields of English education and writing teacher education, illustrates not only "what" is happening in writing methods courses but why in its examination of writing methods courses and instructor influences. The writing methods course is identified by English educators and writing teacher educators as…

  14. The Cultural Preparation of Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goddard, J. Tim

    This paper describes an ongoing doctoral study on the preparation of teachers to work in a variety of student cultural populations. It will examine teachers from three distinctly different geographical and sociocultural areas. The three areas are urban, suburban/rural, and rural isolated school jurisdictions in Alberta and Saskatchewan (Canada).…

  15. Report on a Project To Integrate Multicultural Diversity into Required Preservice Teacher Education Courses at Nine Westchester Colleges and Universities: W.T.E.G., Volume I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freeouf, Barbara C., Ed.

    This collection of papers describes efforts of the Westchester Teacher Education Group (WTEG) to incorporate multicultural concepts into teacher preparation courses. Part I gives an overview of the WTEG and the activities of its task force on diversity and the family, in three papers: "The Westchester Teacher Education Group: History and…

  16. Assessing the Assessments of Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brabeck, Mary M.; Dwyer, Carol Anne; Geisinger, Kurt F.; Marx, Ronald W.; Noell, George H.; Pianta, Robert C.; Subotnik, Rena F.; Worrell, Frank C.

    2016-01-01

    Teacher preparation programs have both a desire and a responsibility to demonstrate, with affirmative evidence, that teacher education makes a difference in PreK-12 student learning. Program faculty need good data to make decisions about the progress of students, whom to recommend for state licensure, and how to improve teacher education. This…

  17. Alignment of Content and Pedagogy in an Earth Systems Course for Pre-Service Middle School Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cole, T.; Teed, R.; Slattery, W.

    2006-12-01

    In 2003 the Ohio Department of Education developed the Ohio K-12 Science Content Standards. These new science standards substantially tracked the goals and objectives of The National Research Council's National Science Education Standards. The Ohio K-12 Science Content Standards followed the National Standards in the content areas of Physical Science, Life Science and Earth and Space Science. At the same time, the state's K-12 schools were gearing up for a new high school graduation requirement, the successful passing of a high-stakes Ohio Graduation Test, given during a student's tenth grade year. Earth and Space science questions make up approximately one third of the science test items. To make it more likely that teachers have the requisite science content knowledge Ohio has recently changed from certification of K-12 teachers to a more content rich licensure standard. This new licensure requirement splits the older certification designation of K-8 into the elementary and middle school licensure areas. Under the new licensure requirements middle school licensure candidates wishing to earn a science concentration now have to take 15 semester hours of content class work in Science. The Ohio Department of Education has strongly suggested that teacher preparation institutions develop new courses for middle school educators in all four areas of concentration, including science. In response to this call for new courses science education faculty in all science areas worked together to develop a comprehensive suite of courses that would target the science content standards guidelines in the state and national standards. The newly developed Earth and Space science course is titled Earth Systems. The course carries 4.5quarter hours of credit and is intended expressly for pre-service middle school (grades 4- 9) science teachers. The content is structured around three modules of study that are designed to develop interdisciplinary science content within the context of past

  18. Science, Technology and Social Change Course's Effects on Technological Literacy Levels of Social Studies Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yigit, E. Ozlem

    2013-01-01

    Social studies curricula are required in order to prepare to educate children who continue to learn after their formal training, and it is vital that teachers receive an education properly. In Social Studies Education Departments of Education Faculties Science, Technology and Social Change course is convenient to this aim and it contributes to…

  19. Assessment of an On-Line Earth System Science Course for Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shuster, R. D.; Grandgenett, N.

    2009-12-01

    The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has been offering on-line Earth System Science coursework to in-service teachers in Nebraska since 2002 through the Earth Systems Science Education Alliance (ESSEA). The goal of this course is to increase teacher content knowledge in Earth Science, introduce them to Earth System Science, and have them experience cooperative learning. We have offered three different ESSEA courses, with nearly 200 students having taken ESSEA courses at UNO for graduate credit. This effort represents a close collaboration between faculty and students from the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Education, with periodic assistance of the local schools. In a follow-up study related to ESSEA coursework, UNO examined the perceptions of teachers who have taken the course and the potential benefits of the ESSEA courses for their own educational settings. The study was descriptive in design and included an online survey and a focus group. The results of these assessments indicated that the teachers felt very positive about what they learned in these courses, and in particular, how they could incorporate cooperative learning, inquiry based activities, and Earth System Science interconnections in their own classrooms. Problems identified by the teachers included a perceived lack of time to be able to integrate the learned material into their science curriculua and a lack of computer and/or technological resources in their educational settings. In addition, this Fall, we will conduct two teacher case studies, where we will interview two teachers, visit their classrooms, acquire work samples and talk with students. All of the results of our survey and focus group will be presented.

  20. Preparing Future Teacher-Leaders: Experiences from the University of Connecticut's Five-Year Teacher Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwab, Richard L.; DeFranco, Thomas C.; McGivney-Burelle, Jean

    2004-01-01

    The article discusses the Integrated Bachelor's/Master's (IB/M) Teacher Preparation, a five-year teacher preparation program that integrates coursework, school-based clinic experiences, and university and K-12 faculty in the preparation of pre-service teachers. A major component of the IB/M program is the relationship with selected public school…

  1. The Crystal Ball Project: Predicting the Future of Composition and the Preparation of Composition Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Crag; Ericsson, Patricia Freitag

    2014-01-01

    In this article the authors peer into current elementary classrooms and college composition courses in 2020 to envision what K-12 and composition curricula can do now to ensure today's students are prepared for those future composition classes. The authors interviewed veteran (20 or more years) K-6 teachers in a small university town and…

  2. Specialized Middle Level Teacher Preparation: Moving from Advocacy to Actualization

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Chris M.; Howell, Penny B.; Faulkner, Shawn A.

    2016-01-01

    Is specialized middle level teacher preparation necessary? This essay offers the authors' thoughts regarding middle level teaching and the necessity of specialized middle level teacher preparation. The reader is encouraged to further the discussion of middle level teacher preparation from advocacy to actualization.

  3. Winter course in physiology: a successful example of continuing education for secondary school teachers in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Café-Mendes, Cecília C; Righi, Luana L; Calil-Silveira, Jamile; Nunes, Maria Tereza; Abdulkader, Fernando

    2016-12-01

    In international surveys, Brazilian students have been consistently ranking low in science. Continuing education for secondary school teachers is certainly a way to change this situation. To update teachers and provide teaching and learning experiences for graduate students, our department organized a "Winter Course in Physiology" where schoolteachers had the opportunity to attend lectures that were offered by graduate students and participate in discussions on teaching and learning strategies and their applicability, considering different schools and student age groups. This work evaluated the ways in which the Winter Course in Physiology improves continuing education for secondary school teachers. Graduate students prepared, presented, and discussed with the audience the concepts, content, and topics of the program, which were previously presented to the organizing committee and a supervising professor. Potential participants were recruited based on their curriculum vitae and a letter of intent. During the course, they completed a questionnaire that graded different aspects of course organization and lectures. The results indicated that the Winter Course was positively evaluated. Most topics received a grade of ≥4.0, considering a range of 1.0 (low) to 5.0 (high). In a followup, both the participants and instructors reported positive impacts on their overall knowledge in physiology. Schoolteachers reported improvements in the performance and participation of their students. In conclusion, the results suggested that the Winter Course is a good way to promote continuing education for schoolteachers and promote university outreach. It also provided an important experience for graduate students to develop teaching skills. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

  4. Development of an Online Exoplanet Course for In-Service Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barringer, Daniel; Palma, Christopher

    2016-01-01

    The Earth and Space Science Partnership (ESSP) is a collaboration among Penn State scientists, science educators and seven school districts across Pennsylvania. Penn State also offers through its fully online World Campus the opportunity for In-Service science teachers to earn an M.Ed. degree in Earth Science, and we currently offer a required online astronomy course for that program. We have previously presented descriptions of how have incorporated research-based pedagogical practices into ESSP-sponsored workshops for in-service teachers (Palma et al. 2013) and into a pilot section of introductory astronomy for non-science majors (Palma et al. 2014). In this presentation, we detail the design and development of a new online astronomy course to be offered through the M.Ed. Earth Science degree program. This course also uses a coherent content storyline approach (Roth et al. 2011), and will engage the teachers in investigations using authentic data within the Claims Evidence Reasoning framework (McNeill & Krajcik 2012). The course theme will be exploring exoplanets in order to show how these objects have forced us to reconsider some ideas in our model for the formation of the Solar System, which is a disciplinary core idea identified in the Next Generation Science Standards (citation). Course materials will be made available through Penn State's open courseware initiative and will be promoted to teachers throughout PA through the Pennsylvania Earth Science Teachers' Association (PAESTA). We gratefully acknowledge support from the NSF MSP program award DUE#0962792.

  5. Duncan Cites Shortcomings of Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sawchuk, Stephen

    2009-01-01

    In what had been billed as a major speech on teacher education, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan last week reiterated concerns about the quality of the schools that produce a majority of the nation's teachers. But some observers said that by praising several new teacher-preparation initiatives, he struck a more conciliatory tone toward the…

  6. Preparing Teachers for Urban Schools: An Annotated Bibliography for Teacher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clothier, Grant; And Others

    This annotated bibliography developed by Cooperative Urban Teacher Education (CUTE) staff members presents a selective reading list for undergraduate teacher education candidates preparing to work in inner-city schools. An interdisciplinary team composed of a psychiatrist, a sociologist, and teacher educators categorized the 187 entries under the…

  7. Inquiry-Based Course in Physics and Chemistry for Preservice K-8 Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loverude, Michael E.; Gonzalez, Barbara L.; Nanes, Roger

    2011-01-01

    We describe an inquiry-based course in physics and chemistry for preservice K-8 teachers developed at California State University Fullerton. The course is one of three developed primarily to enhance the science content understanding of prospective teachers. The course incorporates a number of innovative instructional strategies and is somewhat…

  8. Integrating Global Content into Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xin, Joy F.; Accardo, Amy L.; Shuff, Midge; Cormier, Mary; Doorman, Diane

    2016-01-01

    Globalization affects many aspects of our lives in the 21st century and requires us to adopt an international perspective. For this study, global content was integrated into one course of an undergraduate special education teacher education program. A total of 118 teacher candidates were enrolled in the course over two semesters. A pre-post test…

  9. Structuring the AP Art History Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herscher, Walter R.

    2013-01-01

    While AP (Advanced Placement) Art History may be taught within the art department in many schools, social studies teachers are equally capable of teaching the course well. They have the historical background to discuss the reasons for changes in art styles. A teacher's preparation is similar to teaching a course stressing political history,…

  10. Teachers' Basic Knowledge of Reading Instruction: Insights from a Teacher Preparation Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berkeley, Sheri; Regan, Kelley; Dimitrov, Dimiter; Guckert, Mary; Ray, Sharon

    2016-01-01

    Effective reading instruction is essential for all students, and especially students with disabilities; however, studies have indicated that both pre-service and in-service teachers lack an adequate knowledge of reading. To ensure adequate teacher knowledge, teacher preparation reform advocates suggest purposeful alignment of teacher preparation…

  11. Impact of Including Authentic Inquiry Experiences in Methods Courses for Pre-Service Secondary Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slater, T. F.; Elfring, L.; Novodvorsky, I.; Talanquer, V.; Quintenz, J.

    2007-12-01

    Science education reform documents universally call for students to have authentic and meaningful experiences using real data in the context of their science education. The underlying philosophical position is that students analyzing data can have experiences that mimic actual research. In short, research experiences that reflect the scientific spirit of inquiry potentially can: prepare students to address real world complex problems; develop students' ability to use scientific methods; prepare students to critically evaluate the validity of data or evidence and of the consequent interpretations or conclusions; teach quantitative skills, technical methods, and scientific concepts; increase verbal, written, and graphical communication skills; and train students in the values and ethics of working with scientific data. However, it is unclear what the broader pre-service teacher preparation community is doing in preparing future teachers to promote, manage, and successful facilitate their own students in conducting authentic scientific inquiry. Surveys of undergraduates in secondary science education programs suggests that students have had almost no experiences themselves in conducting open scientific inquiry where they develop researchable questions, design strategies to pursue evidence, and communicate data-based conclusions. In response, the College of Science Teacher Preparation Program at the University of Arizona requires all students enrolled in its various science teaching methods courses to complete an open inquiry research project and defend their findings at a specially designed inquiry science mini-conference at the end of the term. End-of-term surveys show that students enjoy their research experience and believe that this experience enhances their ability to facilitate their own future students in conducting open inquiry.

  12. The Prevalence or Absence of Attention to Adolescent Literature in the Initial Preparation of Secondary Content Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruiz, Amanda M.; Many, Joyce E.; Aoulou, Eudes

    2011-01-01

    This study examined uses of adolescent literature included secondary teacher preparation in English, math, science, and social studies education at 12 institutions. Analyses revealed programs emphasized adolescent literature in a variety of ways and most often in courses for English majors. Only two institutions required that prospective math,…

  13. Engaging in science inquiry: Prospective elementary teachers' learning in an innovative life science course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haefner, Leigh Boardman

    2001-10-01

    This study examined prospective elementary teachers' learning about science inquiry in the context of an innovative life science course that engaged them in an original science investigation. Eleven elementary education majors participated in the study. A multiple case study approach that was descriptive, interpretive, and framed by grounded theory was employed. Primary data sources included transcripts of semi-structured interviews, text associated with online threaded discussions, and course project documents, such as lesson plans and written reflections. Secondary data sources included videotaped class sessions and field notes. Data were analyzed using analytical induction techniques, and trustworthiness was developed through the use of multiple data sources, triangulation of data, and the use of counterexamples to the assertions. Three major findings emerged from the cross-case analysis. First, engaging in an original science investigation assisted prospective teachers in becoming more attentive to the processes of science and developing more elaborated and data-driven explanations of how science is practiced. Second, when prospective teachers struggled with particular aspects of their investigations, those aspects became foci of change in their thinking about science and doing science. Third, as prospective teachers came to place a greater emphasis on questions, observations, and experimentation as fundamental aspects of doing science, they became more accepting of approaches to teaching science that encourage children's questions about science phenomena. Implications include the need to re-conceptualize teacher preparation programs to include multiple opportunities to engage prospective teachers in learning science as inquiry, and attend to connections among subject matter knowledge, subject-specific pedagogy and experiences with children.

  14. A survey of specific individualized instruction strategies in elementary science methods courses in Tennessee teacher education institutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hazari, Alan A.

    The purpose of the study was to determine the status of individualized science instruction in Tennessee teacher education institutions. Specifically, the study sought to investigate the extent of teaching about and/or use of 31 strategies for individualizing instruction in elementary science teaching methods courses. The individualized instruction frameworks, with strategies for individualizing instruction, were developed by Rowell, et al. in the College of Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. A review of the literature on the preparation of preservice elementary science teachers for individualized instruction in K-8 classrooms revealed very limited research. This investigation sought to identify how the elementary science teacher educators prepared their preservice elementary science teachers to (1) learn about the children they will teach, (2) determine differences among learners, (3) plan for individualized science instruction in the elementary school classroom, and (4) help attend to individual student differences. The researcher prepared and used a 31-item survey to poll elementary science teacher educators in Tennessee. The participants included K-8 educators from 40 state-approved teacher education institutions. The high teacher education institution response rate (72.5%) brought input from institutions of varying sizes, operated privately or publicly across the state of Tennessee. In general, Tennessee elementary science teacher educators reported that they tended to teach about and/or use a fair number of the 31 individualized instruction strategies that involve both learning about K-8 students and their differences. On the other hand, many of these educators provided preservice teachers with quite a bit of the strategies that lead to planning for individualized science instruction and to attending to individual student differences. The two strategies that were the most taught about and/or used in elementary science methods by Tennessee

  15. Designing a Materials Development Course for EFL Student Teachers: Principles and Pitfalls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouckaert, Marina

    2016-01-01

    This article presents an overview of a newly designed course in materials development at a teacher education institute in the Netherlands. It also includes an evaluation of the course by its participants, student teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Dutch secondary schools. The course overview describes the aims and objectives of the…

  16. Evaluating the Effectiveness of E-Learning in Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chiero, Robin; Beare, Paul; Marshall, James; Torgerson, Colleen

    2015-01-01

    Teacher education struggles with the challenge of preparing and retaining high-quality teachers who can work effectively with all students. While educator preparation is a strong correlate of student achievement, traditional university-based programmes are not available to all potential teachers. This manuscript describes CalStateTEACH, an online…

  17. A Model Instructional Computing Course for Preservice Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cimikowski, Linda; Cook, Joan

    Foundations of Instructional Computing is a required one-semester, two credit course in the Education Department of Montana State University (Bozeman). The major objective of the course is to help preservice teachers develop use of computer technology that is confident, thoughtful, and integrated into their individual teaching philosophy and…

  18. Contextualizing Earth Science Professional Development Courses for Geoscience Teachers in Boston

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, R. F.; Pelletier, P.; Dorsen, J.; Douglas, E. M.; Pringle, M. S.; Karp, J.

    2009-12-01

    Inquiry-based, hands-on, graduate content courses have been developed specifically for Boston Public School middle school teachers of Earth Science. Earth Science I: Weather and Water and Earth Science II: The Solid Earth--Earth History and Planetary Systems have been taught a total of seven times to over 120 teachers. Several key attributes to these successful courses have been identified, including co-instruction by a university professor and a high school and a middle school teacher that are familiar with the Boston curriculum, use of hands-on activities that are closed related to those used in the Boston curriculum, pre- and post-course local field trips, and identification of key learning objectives for each day. This model of professional development was developed over several years in all disciplines (Earth Science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry) by the Boston Science Partnership (BSP), an NSF-funded Math Science Partnership program. One of the core strategies of the BSP is these Contextualized Content Courses (CCC), graduate level, lab-based courses taught at either UMass Boston or Northeastern University during summer intensive or semester formats. Two of the eleven courses developed under the grant are Earth Science I & II. This presentation shares the model of the CCC, the impact on teacher participants, the value of these courses for the professor, and lessons learned for successful professional development. Findings about the courses’ impact and effectiveness come from our external evaluation by the Program Evaluation Research Group (PERG). The combination of content and modeling good instructional practices have many positive outcomes for teachers, including increased self-efficacy in science understanding and teaching, positive impacts on student achievement, and teacher shifts from more traditional, more lecture-based instructional models to more inquiry approaches. STEM faculty members become involved in science education and learn and practice new

  19. How Do the Teachers Define Social Studies Course?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Topçu, Ersin

    2017-01-01

    In this research, the aim is to determine what the social studies teachers think about the interdisciplinary structure of the social studies course and the educational situation. Likert type questionnaire and semi-structured interview form were used as data collection tools. The questionnaire was applied to 150 teachers working in 58 secondary…

  20. Novice Teachers' Perceptions of Support, Teacher Preparation Quality, and Student Teaching Experience Related to Teacher Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knobloch, Neil A.; Whittington, M. Susie

    2002-01-01

    This multiple regression study analyzed the percent of variance in teacher efficacy of 106 student teachers and novice teachers in agricultural education in Ohio explained by selected variables related to perceived support (utilizing a mentor, supportive principal behaviors, collective efficacy), teacher preparation quality, and student teaching…

  1. Influences of Teacher Preparation Program on Preservice Science Teachers' Beliefs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nuangchalerm, Prasart; Prachagool, Veena

    2010-01-01

    Teacher preparation program is routinely make decisions regarding the best pedagogical methods from field experience studies, it can alter students' understandings about academic content and some characteristics through professional practices. This study tries to investigate the extent to which individuals learning to be teachers feel what…

  2. Preparing Learning Teachers: The Role of Collaborative Inquiry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Pamela

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes a two-year action research study of 20 pre-service teachers (referred to in the context of this study as intern teachers) in their final 15-week practicum, during which they engaged in a type of action research known as collaborative inquiry. Over the course of their practicum, these intern teachers were interviewed monthly to…

  3. Historical Survey of Research in Physics Teacher Preparation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meltzer, David E.

    2017-01-01

    There have been efforts to provide specialized preparation for prospective physics teachers for over 100 years, both in the U.S. and elsewhere. However, systematic research investigations of these efforts are much more scarce, particularly in the U.S. I will review some highlights of research in physics teacher preparation reported in the U.S. and in several other countries as early as the 1920s. The more recent investigations (beginning around 1970) reveal a pattern of teacher preparation practices emphasizing multiple, extended experiences in analyzing physical systems-and making and testing hypotheses of experimental outcomes-by developing and reflecting on laboratory-based physics activities that are often subsequently taught (as simulated ``micro-teaching'' or in actual classrooms), all under close guidance and intensive coaching from expert physics-teacher educators. Outcomes reported include improvements in the quality of experiment design (emphasizing student-generated explanations rather than rote procedures), and in ability to communicate, better awareness of physics teachers' pedagogical knowledge, and improved learning gains by the teachers' students on tests of conceptual understanding. Supported in part by NSF DUE #1256333.

  4. What Teacher Preparation Programs Can Do to Better Prepare Teachers to Meet the Challenges of Educating Students Living in Poverty

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hughes, Jacqueline A.

    2010-01-01

    Because of the present, increasing economic circumstances, poverty is fast becoming a crisis, and teacher preparation programs must begin to prepare teachers to explicitly address the needs of poor children. The inclusion of poverty in this discourse is in no way intended to discount the issues of race, ethnicity, and gender. The intention here is…

  5. Preparing STEM Teachers: The Key to Global Competitiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NJ1), 2007

    2007-01-01

    Like many sectors in society, the teacher preparation community is working to address challenges the nation faces in relation to global competitiveness. This document highlights institutions around the country that are preparing tomorrow's teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Well-known shortages of…

  6. Special Education Teacher Preparation in Singapore's Dual Education System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Zachary

    2016-01-01

    Global comparisons of teacher education programs should start with an understanding of the school systems that teachers are being prepared for in their local contexts. The purpose of this article is to describe Singapore's dual education system as well as teacher preparation in a country that educates many students with disabilities in a separate…

  7. Multicultural Education: Teachers' Perceptions and Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alismail, Halah Ahmed

    2016-01-01

    This paper focuses on theory and practice in multicultural education as it pertains to the preparation of preservice teachers. The literature reviews the history and definition of multiculturalism and investigates multiple theoretical frameworks around the ongoing debate and issues of multicultural education. Teachers' perceptions of multicultural…

  8. Impact of Mindfulness-Based Teacher Training on MBSR Participant Well-Being Outcomes and Course Satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Ruijgrok-Lupton, Pauline Eva; Crane, Rebecca S; Dorjee, Dusana

    2018-01-01

    Growing interest in mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) has resulted in increased demand for MBP teachers, raising questions around safeguarding teaching standards. Training literature emphasises the need for appropriate training and meditation experience, yet studies into impact of such variables on participant outcomes are scarce, requiring further investigation. This feasibility pilot study hypothesised that participant outcomes would relate to teachers' mindfulness-based teacher training levels and mindfulness-based teaching and meditation experience. Teachers ( n  = 9) with different MBP training levels delivering mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) courses to the general public were recruited together with their course participants ( n  = 31). A teacher survey collected data on their mindfulness-based teacher training, other professional training and relevant experience. Longitudinal evaluations using online questionnaires measured participant mindfulness and well-being before and after MBSR and participant course satisfaction. Course attendees' gains after the MBSR courses were correlated with teacher training and experience. Gains in well-being and reductions in perceived stress were significantly larger for the participant cohort taught by teachers who had completed an additional year of mindfulness-based teacher training and assessment. No correlation was found between course participants' outcomes and their teacher's mindfulness-based teaching and meditation experience. Our results support the hypothesis that higher mindfulness-based teacher training levels are possibly linked to more positive participant outcomes, with implications for training in MBPs. These initial findings highlight the need for further research on mindfulness-based teacher training and course participant outcomes with larger participant samples.

  9. Teacher Candidates' Questions within the Context of an Educational Psychology Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallagher, Tiffany L.

    2009-01-01

    The belief systems with which teacher candidates enter their preservice programs powerfully shape their perceptions about teaching and learning. Data were gathered from 412 teacher candidates over the course of 5 academic years. Each of the participants posed 2 questions at the beginning of their course that they would like to be answered during…

  10. Repositioning Students in Initial Teacher Preparation: A Comparative Descriptive Analysis of Learning to Teach for Social Justice in the United States and in England

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook-Sather, Alison; Youens, Bernadette

    2007-01-01

    Discussions of learning to teach for social justice generally focus on the social commitments, institutional structures, course content, and pedagogical processes that support prospective teachers. Missing from this array of foci is a consideration of how school students are positioned within teacher preparation and how their positioning and…

  11. Role of Clinical Practice in Teacher Preparation: Perceptions of Elementary Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Delar K.

    2017-01-01

    The Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs (CAEP) has established five standards to measure the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs. Clinical partnerships and practice represent "Standard 2." The CAEP requires that teacher education programs design high quality clinical practice that is central to preparation…

  12. Field-Based Teacher Education in Literacy: Preparing Teachers in Real Classroom Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeGraff, Tricia L.; Schmidt, Cynthia M.; Waddell, Jennifer H.

    2015-01-01

    For the past two decades, scholars have advocated for reforms in teacher education that emphasize relevant connections between theory and practice in university coursework and focus on clinical experiences. This paper is based on our experiences in designing and implementing an integrated literacy methods course in a field-based teacher education…

  13. Understanding Poverty through Race Dialogues in Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryant, Larry C.; Moss, Glenda; Zijdemans Boudreau, Anita S.

    2015-01-01

    This study used critical dialogue within a teacher preparation program to address the dilemma of preparing preservice teachers for educational arenas in which they will interface with students who are socially and economically disadvantaged. Using Critical Race Theory as a lens, the study addressed the following research questions: What were the…

  14. Kentucky Teacher Preparation and Certification Handbook. 1983 Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kentucky State Dept. of Education, Frankfort. Div. of Teacher Education and Certification.

    This handbook includes teacher preparation and certification regulations adopted by the Kentucky State Board of Education through March 1983. State standards are delineated for: (1) statutory provisions relating to teacher education and certification; (2) teacher certification procedures; (3) ranking of teacher qualifications; (4) evaluation and…

  15. The El Salvador Educational Reform: Some Effects of the First Teacher Retraining Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McAnany, Emile G.; And Others

    Teachers in El Salvador who participated in a three-month retraining course were given comparable questionnaires during the first and last week of the course, to examine their concepts about instructional television (ITV), professional roles and responsibilities in ITV-aided classrooms, and teachers' problems. Of the 92 teachers who completed the…

  16. Participation in an experiential education professional development course: An analysis of the teacher experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNamee, Dana Crosby

    Experiential education opportunities are recommended in science classrooms but due to budget and time constraints (Cowart, 2010; Dallimore, et al., 2010; Johnson, 2007) schools often resort to simple science inquiry (Chinn, 2002). While many programs exist with the intention of providing teachers with experiential education opportunities, often these are short-term day trips that do not provide the same learning benefits that an extended program would (Gulamhussein, 2013). To help address these issues in their own classrooms, middle and high school teachers from New England voluntarily chose to participate in an experiential education professional development course. This study examined how the individuals' teaching had or had not changed as a result of their participation in this course. The question that guided this research was: * How do teachers benefit, and how do teachers perceive their students benefit, after their participation in an experiential education professional development course? . Research focused on teachers from middle and high schools across New England who completed a three-day program. Their participation in the course was entirely voluntary. The course goal was to provide teachers with the skills to be able to understand and apply experiential education pedagogy and principles in their classrooms. This interpretative phenomenological analysis found that all participating teachers had made changes to their curriculum and teaching methodologies as a result of their participation in the professional development course. While the experiential learning model (Kolb, 1984) played a significant role how the professional development was implemented during the professional development course for teachers, only portions of the experiential learning model were present when teachers implemented those lessons into their own classes. Regardless, teachers found that students had been impacted through the engagement they felt and the connections they made to

  17. The Impact of a Teacher Education Course on Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs about Inclusion: An International Comparison

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharma, Umesh; Sokal, Laura

    2015-01-01

    In this comparative study, the impact of two stand-alone university courses on pre-service teachers' attitudes, concerns and teaching efficacy to teach in inclusive classrooms is examined. Twenty-eight pre-service teachers (PSTs) from Australia and 60 PSTs from Canada completed a survey at pre- and post-stages of the course. It was found that…

  18. Teachers' Preparation Needs for Integrating Technology in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Barcus C.

    2013-01-01

    School districts across the country are charged with preparing the next generation for competing in a global economy and have spent billions of dollars on technology acquisition and Internet use. However, teachers do not feel prepared to integrate technology in the classroom. To prepare teachers for technology integration, the most common approach…

  19. Biochemistry Courses for High School Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ostrowski, W. S.

    1987-01-01

    Describes the secondary school system in Poland. Discusses the Integrated Medical Admission Test and it's implications for evaluating the level of knowledge on a national scale. Describes how new programs are produced. Discusses refresher courses organized for high school teachers. Lists several publications available to Polish high school…

  20. ISSUES IN THE PREPARATION OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    CRISP, RAYMOND E., ED.

    TEXTS OF SELECTED ADDRESSES PRESENTED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ILLINOIS STATE-WIDE CURRICULUM STUDY CENTER IN THE PREPARATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHERS (ISCPET) AT THE 1967 CONFERENCE ON ENGLISH EDUCATION AND TWO PAPERS RELEVANT TO ISSUES IN THE PREPARATION OF ENGLISH TEACHERS ARE REPRINTED IN THIS COLLECTION. THE CONFERENCE ADDRESSES,…

  1. Innovation in Course Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knipe, Sally

    2016-01-01

    Initial teacher education programs offered at Australian universities tend to qualify graduates to teach in the age-related contexts of early childhood/primary or secondary, a model that has reflected the organisational evolution of schools. Greater flexibility is required in the design of teacher preparation courses in order to produce graduates…

  2. Preparation in Multicultural Teacher Education: Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers and Their Professor in a Teacher Credentialing Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Estupinan, Marina

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to research and analyze: (a) the similarities and differences in pre-service teachers' perceptions of teacher preparedness for multicultural education following the completion of a course in a teacher credentialing program, and (b) the identification of major factors from the university professor's perceptions which…

  3. Operationally Defining Work, Individualized Teacher Preparation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Univ., Tallahassee. Dept. of Science Education.

    This publication is one of 14 modules prepared for training pre- and in-service teachers to teach Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS) materials. The organization of this publication is centered around the first unit at level I discussing the broad physics concept of "work." Various activities are suggested for teachers. This…

  4. Preservice Teachers' Views of Instructor Presence in Online Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hodges, Charles B.; Cowan, S. Forrest

    2012-01-01

    The researchers conducted this study to investigate undergraduate preservice teacher candidates' perceptions regarding variables related to instructor presence in online courses. Participants included 52 undergraduate education students enrolled in 100% online technology integration courses at a doctoral research university in the southeastern…

  5. Analysis of Tasks in Pre-Service Elementary Teacher Education Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sierpinska, Anna; Osana, Helena

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents some results of research aimed at contributing to the development of a professional knowledge base for teachers of elementary mathematics methods courses, called here "teacher educators." We propose that a useful unit of analysis for this knowledge could be the tasks in which teacher-educators engage pre-service…

  6. Individual Stress Management Coursework in Canadian Teacher Preparation Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Gregory E.

    2011-01-01

    Teacher stress is a significant issue facing the teaching profession. The current paper explores individual stress management as a viable option to address stress in this profession. Specifically, Canadian teacher education programs are examined to identify the prevalence of pre-service teacher education courses focused on individual stress…

  7. Teacher candidates in an online post-baccalaureate science methods course: Implications for teaching science inquiry with technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Colon, Erica L.

    Online learning is becoming more prevalent in today's education and is changing the way students learn and instructors teach. This study proposed using an informative case study design within a multilevel conceptual framework as teacher candidates were learning to teach and use science inquiry while in an online post-baccalaureate science methods course. The purposes were to (a) explore whether the teacher candidates had a thorough understanding of scientific inquiry and how to implement higher-order thinking skills, (b) examine whether or not the teacher candidates used a variety of computer-based instructional technologies when choosing instructional objectives, and (c) identify barriers that impede teacher candidates from using science inquiry or technology singly, or the ability to incorporate technology into learning science inquiry. The findings indicate that an online approach in preparing science teachers holds great potential for using innovative technology to teach science inquiry. First, the teacher candidates did incorporate essential features of classroom inquiry, however it was limited and varied in the type of inquiry used. Second, of the 86 lesson plans submitted by the teacher candidates, less than twelve percent of the learning objectives involved higher-order skills that promoted science inquiry. Third, results supported that when using technology in their lesson planning, participants had widely varying backgrounds in reference to their familiarity with technology. However, even though each participant used some form or another, the technology used was fairly low level. Finally, when discussing implementing inquiry-based science in the lesson plans, this study identified time as a reason that participants may not be pushing for more inquiry-based lessons. The researcher also identifies that school placements were a huge factor in the amount of inquiry-based skills coded in the lesson plans. The study concludes that online teacher preparation

  8. Improving Science and Literacy Learning for English Language Learners: Evidence from a Pre-service Teacher Preparation Intervention

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaw, Jerome M.; Lyon, Edward G.; Stoddart, Trish; Mosqueda, Eduardo; Menon, Preetha

    2014-08-01

    This paper present findings from a pre-service teacher development project that prepared novice teachers to promote English language and literacy development with inquiry-based science through a modified elementary science methods course and professional development for cooperating teachers. To study the project's impact on student learning, we administered a pre and post assessment to students (N = 191) of nine first year elementary teachers (grades 3 through 6) who experienced the intervention and who taught a common science unit. Preliminary results indicate that (1) student learning improved across all categories (science concepts, writing, and vocabulary)—although the effect varied by category, and (2) English Language Learner (ELL) learning gains were on par with non-ELLs, with differences across proficiency levels for vocabulary gain scores. These results warrant further analyses to understand the extent to which the intervention improved teacher practice and student learning. This study confirms the findings of previous research that the integration of science language and literacy practices can improve ELL achievement in science concepts, writing and vocabulary. In addition, the study indicates that it is possible to begin to link the practices taught in pre-service teacher preparation to novice teacher practice and student learning outcomes.

  9. Preparing Teachers for the Contemporary Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okoli, Nkechi J.; Ogbondah, Livinus; Ekpefa-Abdullahi, Janet Y.

    2015-01-01

    This paper focused on preparing teachers for the contemporary Nigeria. Teaching is a versatile field that requires at all times the correct identification of indices of developments in the society. This responsibility makes it imperative that teachers be an embodiment of a constant search for updated knowledge in various fields of Endeavour. The…

  10. Status of Elementary Teacher Development: Preparing Elementary Teachers to Deliver Technology and Engineering Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rose, Mary Annette; Carter, Vinson; Brown, Josh; Shumway, Steven

    2017-01-01

    For over a century, teacher preparation programs (TPPs) have experienced peaks and valleys in preparing preservice teachers to deliver technology and engineering (TE) experiences in elementary classrooms. Calls to integrate engineering concepts into elementary education (Katehi, Pearson, & Feder, 2009; Kimmel, Carpinelli, Curr-Alexander, &…

  11. No Teacher Left Inside: Preparing a New Generation of Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marcum-Dietrich, Nanette; Marquez, Lynn; Gill, Susan E.; Medved, Christina

    2011-01-01

    It is ironic that although children often form lasting decisions, at a young age, about their aptitude for and interest in science we are least successful at preparing elementary teachers to nurture their students' science interests. This is despite the fact that most elementary teachers teach in contained classrooms where they are responsible for…

  12. A Best Practices Model for Preparation of Rural Special Education Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cegelka, Patricia A.; Alvarado, Jose Luis

    2000-01-01

    A district-university partnership program provides an alternative route to teacher certification for noncredentialed special education teachers working in a rural California desert region. The program features locally available courses, on-campus summer courses, an alternative internship credential, collaborative structure, a coach-of-coaches…

  13. Autism Spectrum Disorder Coursework for Teachers and Teacher-Aides: An Investigation of Courses Offered in Queensland, Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coates, Mitchell; Lamb, Janeen; Bartlett, Brendan; Datta, Poulomee

    2017-01-01

    The content and structure of pre-service and teacher-aide programs has major implications for training, management, support and deployment of teachers and teacher-aides in mainstream schools working with students who have ASD. Data pertaining to course content and structure were collected from university and teacher-aide training websites, program…

  14. The Relationship between Teacher Candidates' Attitudes towards Teacher Credentialing Courses and Instructor Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gül, Ibrahim

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between the attitudes of prospective teachers towards teaching profession courses and teaching staff behaviors. The research is a quantitative study. The study's study group is composed of 537 education faculty student. "Attitude Scale towards Credentialing Courses" and…

  15. Instructors' Growth in TPACK: Teaching Technology-Infused Methods Courses to Preservice Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foulger, Teresa S.; Buss, Ray R.; Wetzel, Keith; Lindsey, LeeAnn

    2015-01-01

    We were concerned about teaching a stand-alone technology integration course while advocating that teachers employ full integration. Our college moved to a tech-infusion model whereby our educational technology curriculum would be incorporated in methods courses. Using a qualitative approach, we documented experiences of teacher educators who were…

  16. Different Underlying Motivations and Abilities Predict Student versus Teacher Persistence in an Online Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Higashi, Ross M.; Schunn, Christian D.; Flot, Jesse B.

    2017-01-01

    Free online courses, including Massively Open Online Courses, have great potential to increase the inclusiveness of education, but suffer from very high course dropout rates. A study of 172 K-12 students and 114 K-12 teachers taking the same free, online, summertime programming course finds that student and teacher populations have different…

  17. Building TPACK in Preservice Teachers through Explicit Course Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harvey, Douglas M.; Caro, Ronald

    2017-01-01

    The authors of this study utilized the TPACK (Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge) framework in developing and assessing these skills within an advanced technology integration course for preservice teachers. The research contributes to the use of TPACK as a metric for measuring technology integration of pre-service teachers. Two…

  18. Targeted Courses in Inquiry Science for Future Elementary School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steinberg, Richard; Wyner, Yael; Borman, Greg; Salame, Issa I.

    2015-01-01

    This study reports on targeted science courses for undergraduate childhood education majors. We describe an inquiry-oriented, three-course sequence spanning physical, life, and environmental science. All three courses are hands-on and are designed to reflect the content and pedagogy most important to future elementary school teachers.

  19. Examining Teacher Technology Use: Implications for Preservice and Inservice Teacher Preparation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russell, Michael; Bebell, Damian; O'Dwyer, Laura; O'Connor, Kathleen

    2003-01-01

    Surveyed Massachusetts teachers regarding the extent to which they used technology within and outside of the classroom for instructional purposes. Results highlighted six categories of instructional technology use (preparation, e-mail, teacher- directed student use, recording grades, delivery, and special education and accommodation). New teachers…

  20. School of Education - Teacher Preparation Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA.

    In recognition of the fact that teachers in this pluralistic society must have a multiplicity of skills, the School of Education of the University of the Pacific in 1970 initiated a self-study structure which resulted in a critical evaluation of its existing programs for the preparation of teachers. Programs were initiated and strengthened in…

  1. What's New in...Science Teacher Preparation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Borowiec, Jonathan B., James, Robert K.

    2000-01-01

    Argues that NASA's 20-year research effort which will culminate with a manned flight to Mars is an opportunity to involve students in the science of that effort. Describes the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) Teacher Academy Program, a program designed to reach science teachers so that they can prepare their students to…

  2. Teachers Have Emotions Too: An Intra/Interpersonal Approach to Exploring Emotions in Teacher Preparation Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wright, Shequana

    2018-01-01

    The essential focus of this dissertation is the exploration of emotions in response to stressors that may emerge as preservice teachers interact in teaching and learning spaces. My experiences as a teacher and teacher-educator/researcher have influenced an interest in presenting autoethnographical studies. In each autoethnography I explicate my…

  3. An On-line Microcomputer Course for Pre-service Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abkemeier, Mary K.

    This paper describes "Microcomputer Applications for Educators," a course at Fontbonne College for pre-service teachers which introduces the educational applications of the computer and related technologies. The course introduces students to the Macintosh computer, its operating system, Claris Works 4.0, and various other educational and…

  4. Special Education Teacher Transition-Related Competencies and Preparation in Saudi Arabia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alnahdi, Ghaleb

    2014-01-01

    Preparing special education teachers to engage in transition services is a critical part of their preparation. This study examined how special education teachers perceive their preparation for transition services in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 350 teachers participated in this study. Data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA. The findings…

  5. A science methods course in a professional development school context: A case study of student teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sopko, Linda Diane

    The purpose of this case study was to explore how six student teachers constructed their personal understanding about teaching science to elementary students in the context of a professional development school (PDS). The science methods course was one of five university courses that they attended at the PDS site. The participants spent the remainder of the school day in an assigned classroom where they assisted the classroom teacher in a paraprofessional role. This study was an attempt to determine the knowledge that the participants constructed of science instruction and the school during the preservice semester of their PDS experience and what knowledge was transferred into their student teaching practices. The methodology selected was qualitative. A case study was conducted to determine the constructs of the participants. Data collection included documents concerning the PDS school and personal artifacts of the student teachers. Student teachers, cooperating teachers, and administrators were interviewed. The student teachers were also observed teaching. Triangulation was achieved with the use of multiple data sources, a reflexive journal, and peer debriefers. A cross case comparison was used to identify issues salient to the research questions. The PDS context immediately challenged the participants' prior conceptions about how children learn and should be instructed. Participants believed that the situational knowledge constructed during the PDS semester contributed to their self-confidence during student teaching. The instructional emphasis on standardized tests in the PDS and the limited emphasis on science curriculum and instruction constructed an image of science as a minor component in the elementary curriculum. The student teachers were able to transfer knowledge of inquiry-based instructional strategies, as modeled and practiced in their science methods course, into their science lesson during student teaching. One student teacher used inquiry

  6. Music Teacher Educators' Visions of Music Teacher Preparation in Finland, Norway and Sweden

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thorgersen, Cecilia Ferm; Johansen, Geir; Juntunen, Marja-Leena

    2016-01-01

    In this study we investigated the visions of 12 music teacher educators who teach pedagogical courses called instrumental pedagogy and classroom music pedagogy in three music academies in Finland, Norway and Sweden. The data were collected through individual, semi-structured qualitative interviews. Drawing on Hammerness' concept of "teachers'…

  7. Empathy Research and Teacher Preparation: Benefits and Obstacles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouton, Bobette

    2016-01-01

    Teacher preparation is critical in cultivating good teachers, but more importantly in helping teachers learn how to meet the academic and emotional needs of preK-12 students. Teaching and training the socio-emotional trait of empathy is an important skill for pre-service teachers to develop. However, due to the multiple definitions, fields of…

  8. Computer Assisted Instruction in Teacher Education: A Full Length Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cartwright, G. Phillip

    Pennsylvania State University has developed, evaluated, and implemented a series of modules and an entire three-credit teacher education course which is offered completely by microcomputer. The course is entitled "Educating Special Learners." The modules use the Apple II series and the IBM PC series. Evaluation of the course, based on…

  9. Cultural Development. Social Studies: Course II-Unit II. Teacher's Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Ellen K.

    This teachers guide for a secondary course on cultural development builds upon earlier sequential learning courses and deals with concepts and generalizations drawn from the field of anthropology. Primary objectives are to develop students' understanding and awareness of culture. Five sections comprise this 10-week course. The nature of culture is…

  10. Preparing Preservice Teacher Candidates to Differentiate Instructional Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ochoa, Bianca R.

    2013-01-01

    This action research study focused on how various grouping strategies influenced preservice teachers' differentiation of instruction. The participants included a third grade mentor teacher and three preservice teacher candidates. The candidate preparation curriculum consisted of seminars, daily field-based learning experiences, and ongoing…

  11. Exploring perceptions of instructors about childbirth preparation training courses: A qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Otogara, Marzieh; Karimi-Shahanjarini, Akram; Hazavehei, Seyed Mohammad Mehdi; Poorolajal, Jalal; Radnia, Nahid; Akrami, Forouzan; Bagheri, Fahimeh

    2017-01-01

    Background Childbirth preparation training courses on maternal and neonatal health increase awareness, and capability of pregnant women in overcoming fear and anxiety and managing labor pains. Objective To identify the affecting factors and barriers of these courses from the perspective of their instructors. Methods This qualitative study of the content analysis type, has been conducted on 16 certified teachers of the training courses of the Hamadan city in 2015. Data were collected by semi-structured in-depth interviews and were then analyzed by using MAXQDA10 application. Results Participants’ experiences are indicated on three main themes including the objectives of the course, facilitators and barriers. The main objectives of the course were reported as to improve maternal and newborn health, promote natural childbirth and preparedness for parenting and breastfeeding. The main facilitators of the successful implementation include observing educational standards, strengthening the communication and relationship between mothers and staff, mobilization, and the role of instructor. The major barriers are reported as inadequate support from management system, insufficient intra-sector collaboration, poor attitude of obstetricians and physicians, inadequate access, theory-practice gap and not intended to labor naturally. Conclusion The results of our study show that multiple factors are involved in the participation of pregnant women in antenatal classes. Promoting natural childbirth requires intra-sector and inter-sectoral collaboration, as well as the community participation. PMID:28607658

  12. Exploring perceptions of instructors about childbirth preparation training courses: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Otogara, Marzieh; Karimi-Shahanjarini, Akram; Hazavehei, Seyed Mohammad Mehdi; Poorolajal, Jalal; Radnia, Nahid; Akrami, Forouzan; Bagheri, Fahimeh

    2017-04-01

    Childbirth preparation training courses on maternal and neonatal health increase awareness, and capability of pregnant women in overcoming fear and anxiety and managing labor pains. To identify the affecting factors and barriers of these courses from the perspective of their instructors. This qualitative study of the content analysis type, has been conducted on 16 certified teachers of the training courses of the Hamadan city in 2015. Data were collected by semi-structured in-depth interviews and were then analyzed by using MAXQDA10 application. Participants' experiences are indicated on three main themes including the objectives of the course, facilitators and barriers. The main objectives of the course were reported as to improve maternal and newborn health, promote natural childbirth and preparedness for parenting and breastfeeding. The main facilitators of the successful implementation include observing educational standards, strengthening the communication and relationship between mothers and staff, mobilization, and the role of instructor. The major barriers are reported as inadequate support from management system, insufficient intra-sector collaboration, poor attitude of obstetricians and physicians, inadequate access, theory-practice gap and not intended to labor naturally. The results of our study show that multiple factors are involved in the participation of pregnant women in antenatal classes. Promoting natural childbirth requires intra-sector and inter-sectoral collaboration, as well as the community participation.

  13. Preparing pre-service teachers to integrate technology into inquiry-based science education: Three case studies in The Netherlands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tran, Trinh-Ba; van den Berg, Ed; Ellermeijer, Ton; Beishuizen, Jos

    2016-05-01

    Integration of technology ( e.g. measuring with sensors, video measurement, and modeling) into secondary-school science teaching is a need globally recognized. A central issue of incorporating these technologies in teaching is how to turn manipulations of equipment and software into manipulations of ideas. Therefore, preparation for pre-service teachers to apply ICT tools should be combined with the issues of minds-on inquiring and meaning-making. From this perspective, we developed a course within the post-graduate teacher-education program in the Netherlands. During the course, pre-service teachers learnt not only to master ICT skills but also to design, teach, and evaluate an inquiry-based lesson in which the ICT tool was integrated. Besides three life sessions, teachers' learning scenario also consisted of individual tasks which teachers could carry out mostly in the school or at home with support materials and online assistance. We taught three iterations of the course within a design-research framework in 2013, 2014 and collected data on the teacher learning processes and outcomes. The analyses of these data from observation, interviews, questionnaires, and documents were to evaluate implementation of the course, then suggest for revisions of the course set-up, which was executed and then assessed again in a subsequent case study. Main outcomes of the three case studies can be summarized as follows: within a limited time (3 life sessions spread over 2-3 months), the heterogeneous groups of pre-service teachers achieved a reasonable level of competence regarding the use of ICT tools in inquiry-based lessons. The blended set-up with support materials, especially the Coach activities and the lesson-plan form for an ICT-integrated inquiry-based lesson, contributed to this result under the condition that the course participants really spent considerable time outside the life sessions. There was a need for more time for hands-on, in-group activities in life

  14. Teacher-Course Evaluation: A Longitudinal Study of Response Stability and Instrument Reliability.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCollester, Charles W.; And Others

    The temporal context within which a teacher and course evaluation (TCE) is completed did not appear to be of crucial importance in affecting TCE responses. A sample of students was asked to evaluate, initially as freshmen and retrospectively as seniors, a specific teacher and course. Additional data on the student's academic status characteristics…

  15. Development of an Advanced Training Course for Teachers and Researchers in Chemistry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dragisich, Vera; Keller, Valerie; Black, Rebecca; Heaps, Charles W.; Kamm, Judith M.; Olechnowicz, Frank; Raybin, Jonathan; Rombola, Michael; Zhao, Meishan

    2016-01-01

    Based on our long-standing Intensive Training Program for Effective Teaching Assistants in Chemistry, we have developed an Advanced Training Course for Teachers and Researchers in Chemistry at The University of Chicago. The topics in this course are designed to train graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) to become effective teachers and well-rounded…

  16. Beyond Tradition: Preparing the Teachers of Tomorrow's Workforce.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hartley, Nancy K., Ed.; Wentling, Tim L., Ed.

    This monograph contains eight papers examining vocational teacher education theory and practice within the context of new teacher education reforms and practices. Various theoretical and practical aspects of preparing vocational teachers for tomorrow's workplace are discussed, including the following: challenges/opportunities affecting the field;…

  17. Holding Teacher Preparation Accountable: A Review of Claims and Evidence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cochran-Smith, Marilyn; Stern, Rebecca; Sánchez, Juan Garbiel; Miller, Andrew; Keefe, Elizabeth Stringer; Fernández, M. Beatriz; Chang, Wen-Chia; Carney, Molly Cummings; Burton, Stephani; Baker, Megina

    2016-01-01

    Teacher preparation has emerged as an acutely politicized and publicized issue in U.S. education policy and practice, and there have been fierce debates about whether, how, by whom, and for what purposes teachers should be prepared. This brief takes up four major national initiatives intended to improve teacher quality by "holding teacher…

  18. A Course on Effective Teacher-Child Interactions. Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamre, Bridget K.; Pianta, Robert C.; Burchinal, Margaret; Field, Samuel; LoCasale-Crouch, Jennifer; Downer, Jason T.; Howes, Carollee; LaParo, Karen; Scott-Little, Catherine

    2012-01-01

    This study found that teachers who were randomly assigned to take a 14-week course on effective teacher-child interactions demonstrated significant changes in beliefs and knowledge about effective practices and provided more stimulating and engaging interactions in the classroom. [This research brief is based on: Hamre, B. K., Pianta, R. C.,…

  19. Understanding Teacher Effectiveness: Providing Feedback to Teacher Preparation Programs. Data for Action 2013

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Data Quality Campaign, 2014

    2014-01-01

    Teachers need longitudinal student-level data, such as attendance history, course-taking patterns, grades, and test scores, to tailor instruction to individual students' strengths and weaknesses.This factsheet uses the findings from the Data for Action 2013 analysis to discuss how states can provide teachers with student-level longitudinal data,…

  20. Preparation of Social Studies Teachers at Major Research Universities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dumas, Wayne

    1993-01-01

    Reports on a study of the preparation of secondary social studies teachers at major state-supported research universities. Finds relatively few institutions have followed the Holmes Group recommendations and many continue to prepare broad field social studies teachers leaving them deficient in some social science fields. (CFR)

  1. Teaching Dispositions: Shared Understanding for Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeMuth, Lynn

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceptions of 16 high-performing teachers related to teaching dispositions, effects of dispositions on teaching and learning, and recommendations for assessment of teaching dispositions during teacher preparation. Participants' perceptions were gathered using six guided interview questions…

  2. A DBTechNet course module on database SQL transactions for VET teachers training and higher education informatics education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dervos, D. A.; Skourlas, C.; Laiho, M.

    2015-02-01

    "DBTech VET Teachers" project is Leonardo da Vinci Multilateral Transfer of Innovation Project co-financed by the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme. The aim of the project is to renew the teaching of database technologies in VET (Vocational Education and Training) institutes, on the basis of the current and real needs of ICT industry in Europe. Training of the VET teachers is done with the systems used in working life and they are taught to guide students to learning by verifying. In this framework, a course module on SQL transactions is prepared and offered. In this paper we present and briefly discuss some qualitative/quantitative data collected from its first pilot offering to an international audience in Greece during May-June 2013. The questionnaire/evaluation results, and the types of participants who have attended the course offering, are presented. Conclusions are also presented.

  3. Community-Based Collaboration for Early Childhood Teacher Education: Partner Experiences and Perspectives as Co-Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lees, Anna; Kennedy, Adam S.

    2017-01-01

    The relevance and effectiveness of traditional, course- and clinical-experience-based models of teacher preparation have been called into question, and institutions of teacher education must respond to the changing landscape of educational policy, which increasingly emphasizes that candidates must be prepared for challenges faced in complex,…

  4. Preservice Agriculture Teachers' Perceived Level of Readiness in an Agricultural Mechanics Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blackburn, J. Joey; Robinson, J. Shane; Field, Harry

    2015-01-01

    This longitudinal trend study sought to compare the perceptions of preservice agricultural education teachers, enrolled in a Metals and Welding course at a land grant university, on their welding related skills at the beginning of the semester to their final course grade at the end of the semester. Preservice agriculture teachers (N = 240) who…

  5. Taming the Electronic Frontier: A Distance Education Course for Department of Defense Dependents School Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bordeaux, Amy V.; Sprague, Debra; Pullen, J. Mark; Sterling, Donna R.

    1998-01-01

    George Mason University provides online courses for educators. One course encourages teachers to master the Internet as a tool and resource for classroom instruction. This paper describes course configuration and development based on feedback from teachers in Department of Defense Dependents Schools in Germany. Pilot course results indicate that…

  6. The Time Is Now! Creating Technology Competencies for Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foulger, Teresa S.; Graziano, Kevin J.; Slykhuis, David; Schmidt-Crawford, Denise; Trust, Torrey

    2016-01-01

    The way preservice teachers learn to use technology within their practice varies widely depending on the learning opportunities available (e.g., technology-infused teacher preparation program vs. standalone education technology course), and the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the teacher educators within their teacher preparation programs.…

  7. Performance Pay System Preferences of Students Preparing to Be Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milanowski, Anthony

    2007-01-01

    This study explored the potential acceptability of performance pay to new teachers by investigating attitudes toward performance pay of students preparing to be teachers. Focus groups and a survey of students preparing to be teachers at a large U.S. university were conducted. Most students expressed a preference for some form of performance pay…

  8. Implementing Professional Experiences to Prepare Preservice Science Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nuangchalerm, Prasart

    2009-01-01

    In the correlation between professional experiences of preservice science teacher and classroom managerial skills, professional experiences were designed to prepare science teacher in the future. The effects of program were described the result of implementing professional experiences of 67 preservice science teachers. Data were collected by using…

  9. Graduate Teaching Assistants' Enactment of Reasoning-and-Proving Tasks in a Content Course for Elementary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Kimberly Cervello; Steele, Michael D.

    2016-01-01

    Graduate teaching assistants serve as instructors of record for numerous undergraduate courses every semester, including serving as teachers for mathematics content courses for elementary preservice teachers. In this study, we examine 6 teaching assistants' teaching practices in the context of a geometry content course for preservice teachers by…

  10. A Rural Education Teacher Preparation Program: Course Design, Student Support and Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eaton, Sarah Elaine; Gereluk, Dianne; Dressler, Roswita; Becker, Sandra

    2017-01-01

    Attracting and retaining teachers for rural and remote areas is a pervasive global problem. Currently, teacher education in Canada is primarily delivered in face-to-face formats located in urban centres or satellite campuses. There is a need for relevant and responsive teacher education programs for rural pre-service teachers. Recognizing this…

  11. Teacher Preparation Practices in Kenya and the 21st Century Learning: A Moral Obligation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kafwa, Nabwire Opata; Gaudience, Obondo; Kisaka, Sella Terrie

    2015-01-01

    Teacher preparation practices are indices used to measure quality teacher besides other variables. Whereas the current teacher preparation is test scores based inclining to cognitive knowledge, a good teacher preparation practices is a holistic development in nature oriented towards character, skills and knowledge. To embed teacher preparation in…

  12. Understanding the 2012 NSTA Science Standards for Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Veal, William R.; Allan, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to present the new National Science Teachers Association-Standards for Science Teacher Preparation (NSTA-SSTP). The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is the new national accreditation organization for programs of education. NSTA collaborates with CAEP to establish content specific standards…

  13. The Art of Teaching Reading: A Study of Teachers' Perceptions of Their Teacher Education Reading Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lebsock, Rene Mendel

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative study examined the influence of a teacher education reading course on teachers' actual classroom reading instruction. The research included a pilot study, followed by a full study consisting of a demographic survey and four focus groups. Fifteen teachers, 9 beginning (1 to 3 years of experience), and 6 seasoned (4 to 8 years of…

  14. Engaging Local Communities in the Preparation of Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeichner, Ken

    2015-01-01

    The author critiques both major camps in the current debates about teacher education for their lack of attention to the role of local communities in preparing teachers. The current work at the University of Washington, Seattle, to engage local community members as mentors of teacher candidates is highlighted.

  15. Untangling Legal Issues that Affect Teachers and Student Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bain, Christina

    2009-01-01

    The number of lawsuits pertaining to educationally related issues is on the rise in the US (Mounts, 1999). Garner (2000) reports that teachers consider legal issues the third most important area of teacher preparation. However, few universities offer undergraduate courses in educational law and few programs offer comprehensive training concerning…

  16. "They Prepared Me to Be a Teacher, but Not a Culturally Responsive Navajo Teacher for Navajo Kids": A Tribal Critical Race Theory Analysis of an Indigenous Teacher Preparation Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Castagno, Angelina E.

    2012-01-01

    This article argues that federally-funded Indigenous teacher preparation programs housed at mainstream, predominantly White universities can be colonial and thus require significant focused work in order to ensure that they are not. The article has three interrelated objectives: first, to discuss efforts to prepare Indigenous teachers for…

  17. Preparing Elementary English Teachers: Innovations at Pre-Service Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zein, Mochamad Subhan

    2015-01-01

    The teaching of English for Young Learners has become a global phenomenon, but many countries are facing dilemma in terms of teacher preparation (Nunan, 2003; Kaplan, Baldauf, & Kamwangamalu, 2011). Indonesia is of no exception. Its pre-service system has not been adequate to sufficiently prepare elementary English teachers with knowledge and…

  18. Preparing Future Teachers to Anticipate Student Difficulties in Physics in a Graduate-Level Course in Physics, Pedagogy, and Education Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, John R.; Christensen, Warren M.; Wittmann, Michael C.

    2011-01-01

    We describe courses designed to help future teachers reflect on and discuss both physics content and student knowledge thereof. We use three kinds of activities: reading and discussing the literature, experiencing research-based curricular materials, and learning to use the basic research methods of physics education research. We present a general…

  19. Preparing Linguistically Responsive Teachers: Laying the Foundation in Preservice Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lucas, Tamara; Villegas, Ana Maria

    2013-01-01

    It takes teachers many years to develop expertise in the complex set of knowledge, skills, and orientations needed to teach culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students well. The process begins in preservice preparation and continues into the early years of teaching and throughout a teacher's career. This article examines preservice…

  20. Effective Teacher Education: From Student-Teacher Candidates to Novice Teachers Prepared for Urban Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Chavon L.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine to what extent a teacher education program prepares teacher candidates to be effective urban educators who are reflective, innovative, and committed to diversity based on the perceptions and insight from students. As the nation grapples with an extreme range of outputs from our public schools, an…

  1. Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Maritime)--a guide to preparation.

    PubMed

    Butterworth, S; Rawlinson, K

    2014-01-01

    The Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Maritime) is an eight-week residential course held at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham. It is designed to prepare mid-late-seniority Lieutenants and newly-promoted Lieutenant Commanders of the Royal Navy for command, charge and staff appointments, and also to assess their suitability for further staff training. This paper aims to assist officers in the Royal Navy Medical Services in their preparation for attending this course, and also to familiarise them with aspects of the course.

  2. Teacher Preparation for Early Childhood: Special Education in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ho, Hua-Kuo

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is intended to present the current model of teacher preparation for early childhood special education in Taiwan. Documentary analysis was conducted in the study to collect and analyze the obtained data. The main features of teacher preparation policies for early childhood special education in Taiwan could be summarized…

  3. University Teachers' Opinions about Higher Education Pedagogical Training Courses in Slovenia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aškerc-Veniger, Katarina

    2016-01-01

    Pedagogical training courses (PTCs) for university teachers have often been discussed and have become a widespread trend in recent years in many countries. Many university teachers consider pedagogical training (PT) as a valuable tool in their teaching practice. In Slovenia, however, there is little evidence of teachers' opinions and beliefs…

  4. Are preservice teachers prepared to teach struggling readers?

    PubMed

    Washburn, Erin K; Joshi, R Malatesha; Binks Cantrell, Emily

    2011-06-01

    Reading disabilities such as dyslexia, a specific learning disability that affects an individual's ability to process written language, are estimated to affect 15-20% of the general population. Consequently, elementary school teachers encounter students who struggle with inaccurate or slow reading, poor spelling, poor writing, and other language processing difficulties. However, recent evidence may suggest that teacher preparation programs are not providing preservice teachers with information about basic language constructs and other components related to scientifically based reading instruction. As a consequence preservice teachers have not exhibited explicit knowledge of such concepts in previous studies. Few studies have sought to assess preservice teachers' knowledge about dyslexia in conjunction with knowledge of basic language concepts. The purpose of the present study was to examine elementary school preservice teachers' knowledge of basic language constructs and their perceptions and knowledge about dyslexia. Findings from the present study suggest that preservice teachers, on average, are able to display implicit skills related to certain basic language constructs (i.e., syllable counting), but fail to demonstrate explicit knowledge of others (i.e., phonics principles). Also, preservice teachers seem to hold the common misconception that dyslexia is a visual perception deficit rather than a problem with phonological processing. Implications for future research as well as teacher preparation are discussed.

  5. Comparative Models for Preparing Teachers of Minorities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Titus, Dale; Dolgos, Kathleen

    This paper highlights three programs that prepare culturally sensitive teachers to meet the needs of minority students. The University of Hawaii's Preservice Education for Teachers of Minorities has a partnership with the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate private school for children of Hawaiian ancestry. The school brings new culturally sensitive…

  6. Preparing Teachers of Students with Severe Disabilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Lise; Williams, Donna Gilles

    1992-01-01

    This paper examines issues related to preparing teachers to instruct students with severe disabilities, focusing on the values that drive best practices, the content knowledge that should exist within teacher training programs, and processes that may impart and support the continued application of both values and knowledge. (Author/JDD)

  7. Intro Courses that Entice Majors and Future Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stewart, Gay

    2004-05-01

    University of Arkansas is part of the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), an APS/AAPT/AIP program. PhysTEC provides dramatic improvement of science preparation of teachers, developing programs to work at a range of institutions. Features of our undergraduate program already in place that benefit all students, including future teachers, and in-progress curricular revisions will be discussed. As an example, we began with introductory calculus-based electromagnetism and optics, UPII. Our goal was to improve the level of student learning, confidence, and enjoyment of science, while maintaining the resource level common to large institutions. The program is successful. Confidence is up, particularly women end the course as confident as men, with strong correlation between confidence and performance. Students who successfully complete UPII go on to earn a SMET degree. This is the majority, as we make it hard not to learn the material. Students given a 50-minute closed-book test from a 1990 class (ave=53.8%) finished in 35 minutes with an average of 69.2%. They outperformed previous classes where the concepts had been specifically addressed by 18% on multiple-choice questions. Students have a higher retention to degree than university average. Graduation rates tripled concurrent with our first UPII students graduating and continues to increase. Our method involves leading the student from concrete hands-on examples to conceptual understanding through group discussion. Experimental results provide verification. Concepts are related to familiar phenomena. Students are taught to reason in a structured manner about both conceptual and quantitative problems. Cooperative learning, found to improve retention of female and minority students, is emphasized. The increased number of majors impacts almost every aspect of the department.

  8. Crossing the Primary and Secondary School Divide in Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knipe, Sally

    2012-01-01

    Teacher education courses at universities qualify graduates to teach in age-related contexts of primary/early childhood/secondary that reflect the organisational structure of schools. In terms of teacher employment, for some considerable time, these longstanding organisational divisions have been by-passed whereby a shortage of teachers in…

  9. Inservice Science Courses for Primary Teachers: Implementation of Different Types of Inservice Training Courses in Finland.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asunta, Tuula

    1997-01-01

    Reports on the effects of six different primary inservice training courses aimed at teachers' motivation, anxieties, hands-on working skills, and support needs. Results showed that primary teachers felt they needed more continuous support in the area of improving their knowledge and understanding of the subject, especially in chemistry and…

  10. Cases for Teacher Development: Preparing for the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldblatt, Patricia F., Ed.; Smith, Deirdre, Ed.

    2005-01-01

    With the recent and increasing attention to accountability and standards, teacher preparation programs are more than ever in need of tools that vicariously acquaint future teachers with the difficult situations they will face. This book is the perfect catalyst for this sort of teacher development. The cases encourage students to immerse themselves…

  11. Preparation of Teacher-Trainees in Pedagogy in Kenyan Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Genvieve, Nasimiyu

    2017-01-01

    There has been a concern about the quality of school teachers being prepared at the university especially in pedagogy. The main objective of the study was to investigate the preparation of teacher-trainees in pedagogy in Kenyan universities.The theoretical framework of the study was based on Shulman's concept of pedagogical content knowledge. The…

  12. Taiwanese Model of Teacher Preparation for Early Childhood Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ho, Hua-Kuo

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is intended to present the current model of teacher preparation for early childhood education in Taiwan. Documentary analysis was employed in the study to collect and analyze the obtained data. The main features of teacher preparation policies for early childhood education in Taiwan could be summarized as: (1) The…

  13. Community Involvement Components in Culturally-Oriented Teacher Preparation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mahan, James M.

    1982-01-01

    Describes community involvement components in culturally oriented teacher education program, i.e., preservice and inservice community agency assignments, oncampus cultural preparation. Reveals that cultural immersion student teacher programs are attractive and professionally advantageous. (AH)

  14. Preparing World-Class Teachers: Essential Reforms of Teacher Preparation and Credentialing in California

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freedberg, Louis; Rice, Stephanie

    2014-01-01

    Despite the fundamentally important role of teachers in our public school system, how they are prepared is receiving far less attention than other current reforms, such as the Common Core State Standards, the Local Control Funding Formula, and new ways to assess and hold schools accountable for student performance. It has been more than 15 years…

  15. Integrated Model of Teacher Preparation: An Alternate Representation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gafoor K., Abdul

    2011-01-01

    The paper proposes an integrated model of pre-service preparation of teachers by incorporating the principles of critical and constructive approach to teacher education. The paper is an attempt to share the draft of the model with the national audience of teacher educators. The model proposed is integrated, among other things, in that in addition…

  16. Preparing teachers to create a mainstream science classroom conducive to the needs of English-language learners: A feminist action research project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buck, Gayle; Mast, Colette; Ehlers, Nancy; Franklin, Elizabeth

    2005-11-01

    A feminist action research team, which consisted of a science educator, an English-language learner (ELL) educator, a first-year science teacher, and a graduate assistant, set a goal to work together to explore the process a beginning teacher goes through to establish a classroom conducive to the needs of middle-level ELL learners. The guiding questions of the study were answered by gathering a wealth of data over the course of 5 months and taken from the classroom, planning sessions, and researchers and students. These data were collected by observations, semistructured interviews, and written document reviews. The progressive analysis ultimately revealed that: (a) successful strategies a beginning teacher must utilize for teaching middle-level ELL children in a mainstream classroom involve complex structural considerations that are not part of the teacher's preparation; (b) learning increases for all children, but there are differences in learning achievement between ELL and non-ELL children; and (c) student and peer feedback proved to be an effective means of enhancing the growth of a beginning teacher seeking to increase her skills in teaching ELL learners. The experiences and findings from this project have implications for teacher preparation programs committed to preparing educators to teach science to all children.

  17. Pioneer Mentoring in Teacher Preparation: From the Voices of Women Religious.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keating, Kevina; Traviss, Mary Peter

    This book includes the observations of educational leaders and classroom teachers within religious institutions recognized as pioneers in implementing a teacher preparation model that has prepared thousands of Catholic school teachers nationwide. It is based on a study that interviewed 60 women religious belonging to 12 religious institutions that…

  18. Program Standards for the Initial Preparation of Teachers of Social Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Council for the Social Studies, Washington, DC.

    These guidelines are derived from the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) document, "National Standards for Social Studies Teachers." The guidelines are intended to be used by institutions that prepare teachers to assess the quality of their teacher preparation programs for licensure (or certification) in comprehensive social…

  19. Construction of teacher knowledge in context: Preparing elementary teachers to teach mathematics and science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lowery, Maye Norene Vail

    1998-12-01

    The purposes of this study were to further the understanding of how preservice teacher construct teacher knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of elementary mathematics and science and to determine the extent of that knowledge in a school-based setting. Preservice teachers, university instructors, inservice teachers, and other school personnel were involved in this context-specific study. Evidence of the preservice teachers' knowledge construction (its acquisition, its dimensions, and the social context) was collected through the use of a qualitative methodology. Collected data included individual and group interviews, course documents, artifacts, and preservice teaching portfolios. Innovative aspects of this integrated mathematics and science elementary methods course included standards-based instruction with immediate access to field experiences. Grade-level teams of preservice and inservice teachers planned and implemented lessons in mathematics and science for elementary students. An on-site, portable classroom building served as a mathematics and science teaching and learning laboratory. A four-stage analysis was performed, revealing significant patterns of learning. An ecosystem of learning within a constructivist learning environment was identified to contain three systems: the university system; the school system; and the cohort of learners system. A mega system for the construction of teacher knowledge was revealed in the final analysis. Learning venues were discovered to be the conduits of learning in a situated learning context. Analysis and synthesis of data revealed an extensive acquisition of teacher knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge through identified learning components. Patience, flexibility, and communication were identified as necessities for successful teaching. Learning components included: collaboration with inservice teachers; implementation of discovery learning and hands-on/minds-on learning; small groupwork; lesson planning

  20. Design of Chemistry Teacher Education Course on Nature of Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vesterinen, Veli-Matti; Aksela, Maija

    2013-01-01

    To enhance students' understanding of nature of science (NOS), teachers need adequate pedagogical content knowledge related to NOS. The educational design research study presented here describes the design and development of a pre-service chemistry teacher education course on NOS instruction. The study documents two iterative cycles of…

  1. Design of Chemistry Teacher Education Course on Nature of Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vesterinen, Veli-Matti; Aksela, Maija

    2013-09-01

    To enhance students' understanding of nature of science (NOS), teachers need adequate pedagogical content knowledge related to NOS. The educational design research study presented here describes the design and development of a pre-service chemistry teacher education course on NOS instruction. The study documents two iterative cycles of problem analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation. The main aims of the study were (1) to create an in-depth and detailed description of the process used in the development of the course and the design solutions produced, and (2) to evaluate how the design solutions affected participants' commitment to teach NOS. Based on the problem analysis based on challenges recognized from the previous research, three design solutions were produced: (1) definition of central dimensions of domain-specific NOS for chemistry education, (2) teaching cycle for explicit and structured opportunities for reflection and discussion, and (3) design assignments to translate NOS understanding into classroom practice. The major data-sources used in the evaluation of the design solutions were the four in-depth interviews conducted after the course. Based on the evaluation, the design solutions supported internalizing understanding of NOS and transforming the understanding to instruction. Supporting the implementation of new innovative teaching practices such as NOS instruction in pre-service teacher education is a challenge. However, the success of the participants in implementing NOS instruction demonstrates, that a pre-service teacher education course can be successful in producing early adopters of NOS instruction and thus might be one of the first steps in injecting NOS instruction into the curriculum.

  2. Declarative knowledge and professional vision in teacher education: effect of courses in teaching and learning.

    PubMed

    Stürmer, Kathleen; Könings, Karen D; Seidel, Tina

    2013-09-01

    Teachers' professional vision includes the ability to apply general pedagogical knowledge about components of effective teaching and learning to reason about significant features of classroom practice. It requires teachers to (a) describe, (b) explain, and (c) predict classroom situations. Although the acquisition of underling knowledge can be considered as a key element of university-based teacher education programmes, to date, there has been little empirical research on teacher candidates' development of professional vision. This study aims to improve understanding of how different university-based courses in teaching and learning impact the development of professional vision. Participants were teacher candidates (N= 53) attending the same teacher education programme at a German university. They were enrolled in one of three different compulsory courses in teaching and learning, lasting one semester. In a pre-test-post-test design, participants' declarative knowledge about teaching and learning was measured with a test, professional vision with the online tool Observer. Analysis of covariance and multivariate analysis of variance were conducted. Teacher candidates in all three courses showed significant gains both in declarative knowledge and professional vision. Patterns of results differed depending on the course attended. A video-based course with a focus on effective teaching resulted in highest gains in prediction of the consequences of observed events for student learning processes, which is the highest level of knowledge transfer. The development of professional vision is a strongly knowledge-guided process. In line with their content and aims, university-based courses can enhance teaching-relevant knowledge for teacher candidates. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

  3. Are trainee teachers being adequately prepared to promote the health and well-being of school children? A survey of current practice.

    PubMed

    Dewhirst, Sue; Pickett, Karen; Speller, Viv; Shepherd, Jonathan; Byrne, Jenny; Almond, Palo; Grace, Marcus; Hartwell, Debbie; Roderick, Paul

    2014-09-01

    Teachers are a key part of the wider public health workforce in England. We conducted a survey to find out how they are trained for this role during their initial teacher education (ITE). Between 2011 and 2012, we sent an online questionnaire to 220 ITE course managers and conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 19 course managers to explore issues in more depth. The response rate to the questionnaire was 34% (n = 74). Although most of the course managers felt inclusion of health and well-being training in ITE was important, provision across courses was variable. Topics which are public health priorities [e.g. sex and relationships education (SRE) and drugs, alcohol and tobacco] were covered by fewer courses than other topics (e.g. child protection, emotional health and anti-bullying). Perceived barriers to training included lack of time and a belief that health and well-being were low priorities in educational policy. Not all of tomorrow's teachers are being adequately prepared for their role in helping to address public health priorities. Educational policy does not appear to be supporting the priorities of public health policy, and this is a key barrier to health promotion training in ITE. Keywords children, educational settings, health promotion. © Crown copyright 2013.

  4. Master Teachers in Residence: Bringing a Classroom Perspective to Course Reform for NSF's Oklahoma Teacher Education Collaborative (O-TEC).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramsey, Sarah; Neathery, Faye; Fholer, Gwen; Weger, Elayne; Voth, Bonnie; Townsend, Joyce; Campbell, DeAnn; Boedecker, Martha

    Master teachers can be influential in course revision. The Oklahoma Teacher Education Collaborative (O-TEC) teacher reform effort is a consortium of nine higher education institutions working with the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) reform effort to produce teachers better equipped for teaching science and mathematics. The reform emphasizes…

  5. Exploring Preservice Teachers' Perspectives about Human Diversity: Experiences in Multicultural Education Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ndemanu, Michael Takafor

    2012-01-01

    The fact that inner city schools have not been effective in educating culturally, linguistically and economically different (CLED) students has led to the creation of multicultural education courses in teacher education programs across the nation. These courses have been created with the hope that preservice teachers (PSTs) who take one or more of…

  6. Preparing Urban Teachers for the Technological Future.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheingold, Karen; And Others

    This report reviews the results of a survey of teacher training programs in technology among 28 urban school systems in order to ascertain the current state of school computer use and teacher retraining. Results indicate that preparing students for the future presents particular problems for urban schools. With technology restructuring jobs and…

  7. Cooperating Teachers' Role in Preparing Preservice Special Education Teachers: Moving beyond Sink or Swim

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Carly A.; Benedict, Amber E.; Thomas, Rachel A.

    2014-01-01

    Practicum experiences, a crucial component of preservice teacher preparation, help establish the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for beginning special education teachers (SETs). Preservice SETs need cooperating teachers (CTs) who support preservice SETs in proper emotional development (i.e., feeling like a teacher), who can model and…

  8. Constructivism as a Framework for Literacy Teacher Education Courses: The Cases of Six Literacy Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kosnik, Clare; Menna, Lydia; Dharamshi, Pooja; Beck, Clive

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents findings from the large-scale study "Literacy Teacher Educators: Their Backgrounds, Visions, and Practices" that includes 28 literacy/English teacher educators (LTEs) from four countries. The participants were interviewed three times and shared their course outlines. Six pre-service LTEs who use a constructivist…

  9. Teacher's Guide to SERAPHIM Software IV Chemistry: A Modern Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bogner, Donna J.

    Designed to assist chemistry teachers in selecting appropriate software programs, this publication is the fourth in a series of six teacher's guides from Project SERAPHIM, a program sponsored by the National Science Foundation. This guide is keyed to the chapters of the text "Chemistry: A Modern Course." Program suggestions are arranged…

  10. Preservice Teachers' Video Simulations and Subsequent Noticing: A Practice-Based Method to Prepare Mathematics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amador, Julie M.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to implement a Video Simulation Task in a mathematics methods teacher education course to engage preservice teachers in considering both the teaching and learning aspects of mathematics lesson delivery. Participants anticipated student and teacher thinking and created simulations, in which they acted out scenes on a…

  11. Learning about Learning: What Every New Teacher Needs to Know

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pomerance, Laura; Greenberg, Julie; Walsh, Kate

    2016-01-01

    Every year about 190,000 teacher candidates graduate from traditional teacher preparation programs believing they are ready to begin the relentlessly demanding career of teaching. Each of these aspiring teachers will have taken at least one education psychology course or instructional methods course (usually both) designed to teach them how…

  12. Preparing Future Teachers for Inclusion Classrooms Using Virtual World Role-Play Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mirliss, Danielle Salomone

    2014-01-01

    Teacher preparation programs are exploring opportunities to better prepare pre-service teachers for the realities of managing inclusion classrooms. The ability to manage a classroom while meeting the learning needs of all students is critical to the success of a teacher. Research suggests that a teacher's positive attitudes toward inclusion and…

  13. UTeach: Secondary Teacher Preparation in Science and Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marder, Michael

    2006-03-01

    The UTeach Program is a joint effort of the College of Natural Sciences, the College of Education and the Austin Independent School District to recruit, prepare and support math and science teachers for the State of Texas. UTeach uses early and on-going field experiences to capture the imagination of preservice teachers and provide a foundation for more advanced pedagogical courses. With over 400 students enrolled and over 80 graduates per year, UTeach is one of the largest programs producing secondary science, mathematics, and computer science teachers in the nation. Most UTeach students are undergraduates, but around 10% are people of many ages with strong backgrounds in mathematics or science who have decided to enter teaching. Hallmarks include: *Four-year degree plans that enable undergraduates to obtain certification at no cost in time or money. *Active recruitment and support including tuition reimbursement, paid internships, personal advising, and guidance by master teachers. *Emphasis on preparing teachers who will be knowledgeable of their discipline, experienced with involving students in scientific inquiry, and practiced in employing new technologies to enhance student learning. *A revised, streamlined professional education sequence drawing on research on learning, standards-based curricula, multiple forms of assessment, and proven strategies for achieving equity and integrating technology into math and science education. *Program flexibility with multiple entry points (from freshman to post baccalaureate), integrated degree plans, and proficiency-based assessment, including the development of individual teaching portfolios. For more information on UTeach, see http://uteach.utexas.edu

  14. Applications of Video-Conferencing Technology in Special Education Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Israel, Maya; Knowlton, Earle; Griswold, Deborah; Rowland, Amber

    2009-01-01

    Teacher educators must find ways to teach course content situated within realistic K-12 contexts so that their preservice teachers can better understand how to apply that content effectively in situations they will face as professionals. Video-conferencing (VC) technology has emerged as a useful tool in teacher education, evincing a wide range of…

  15. What's New in Teacher Preparation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phi Delta Kappan, 2013

    2013-01-01

    Teacher educators have not been sitting quietly by the side as others have demanded changes in teacher preparation programs. Across the nation, scores of efforts are underway to recruit, train, induct, and retain a highly skilled class of professionals for American schools. The stories presented in this article cover just a fraction of the…

  16. Student-Centered Learning in an Earth Science, Preservice, Teacher-Education Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avard, Margaret

    2009-01-01

    In an effort to get elementary teachers to teach more science in the classroom, a required preservice science education course was designed to promote the use of hands-on teaching techniques. This paper describes course content and activities for an innovative, student-centered, Earth science class. However, any science-content course could be…

  17. Managing Teacher Preparation for Curriculum Execution and School Improvement in Rivers State

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agi, Ugochukwu Kysburn; Harrison, Anthony

    2016-01-01

    The teacher remains a critical part of the epicenter of the educational system. The importance attached to the role of the teacher in curriculum execution and value orientation makes teacher preparation or his future duties and responsibilities no less critical. In this paper therefore, teacher preparation is conceived and defined as an academic…

  18. Preparation and Professional Development of Teacher Educators in Tanzania: Current Practices and Prospects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Namamba, Adam; Rao, Congman

    2017-01-01

    Teacher educators play a key role in teacher education and education in general. Worldwide, little is known about preparation and professional development of teacher educators. This paper critically examined teacher educators' preparation and professional development in the context of educational reforms and mushrooming of teacher education…

  19. Innovation and the Evolving System of U.S. Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Suzanne M.

    2014-01-01

    A longstanding tradition criticizes education schools for their presumed vapid curriculum, out-of-touch faculty, irrelevance, and suffocating ideology. What is different at present is the enthusiasm for alternatives to university-based teacher preparation, as well as the increasing interest in holding teacher preparation programs accountable. I…

  20. Becoming a Teacher Educator: A Self-Study of the Use of Inquiry in a Mathematics Methods Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marin, Katherine Ariemma

    2014-01-01

    This article details the self-study of a beginning teacher educator in her first experience in teaching a mathematics methods course. The transition from teacher to teacher educator is explored through the experience of a course focused on inquiry. Inquiry is embedded within the course from two perspectives: mathematical inquiry and teaching as…

  1. Teacher Presence and Social Presence in Virtual and Blended Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zilka, Gila Cohen; Cohen, Revital; Rahimi, Ilan Daniels

    2018-01-01

    Aim/Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between teacher presence and social presence on one hand, and feelings of challenge and threat, self-efficacy, and motivation among students studying in virtual and blended courses on the other. Background: Physical separation between teacher and learners may lead to…

  2. Design and Implementation of a Multimedia CD-ROM-Based Directed Study Preservice Teacher Education Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morse, Timothy

    This paper discusses the development and implementation of a computer-based directed study preservice teacher education course. Specifically, it explains the procedures followed to create the ten multimedia CD-ROMs that comprise the course, and how preservice teachers use the CD-ROMs. Topics to be covered include (1) rationale for course creation;…

  3. Issues in Early Childhood Teacher Preparation in South Korea.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Han, Eunhye Park

    1996-01-01

    Describes early childhood teacher preparation in South Korea, including types of available child care facilities; teacher training programs at two- and four-year colleges; three types of inservice education available (certificate renewal, supervisory, and general knowledge updates); and emerging issues in teacher education (problems with…

  4. Learning to Support Adolescent Literacy: Teacher Educator Pedagogy and Novice Teacher Take up in Secondary English Language Arts Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kavanagh, Sarah Schneider; Rainey, Emily C.

    2017-01-01

    Disciplinary literacy scholars promote text-based instruction in the service of disciplinary inquiry, and scholars of teacher education promote practice-based preparation for teachers. This study brings these scholarly communities into conversation by investigating how practice orientations in teacher education influence novice teachers' literacy…

  5. A Culture of Thinking Like a Teacher: The Role of Critical Reflection in Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lowenstein, Karen L.; Brill, Andra

    2010-01-01

    As teacher educators for an alternative urban teacher preparation program, we believe that because we cannot teach novice teachers everything they need to know in one year, our principal responsibility is to teach our novices to think like teachers. Central to this process is supporting novices to engage in critical reflection. Critical reflection…

  6. Outcomes of teacher preparation in allied health sciences.

    PubMed

    Conine, T A; Smith, G T; Jackson, E H

    1979-11-01

    Formal preparation of allied health instructors for responsibilities of teaching and educational leadership has been encouraged through substantial federal grants, institutional funds and university programming. A review of the literature reveals very little regarding formal measurements of outcomes in terms of career progress of the graduates their professional activities and their level of satisfaction with the educational content and preparation as a teacher. This study focuses on the achievements and opinions of 106 graduates of a master's degree teacher preparation program. Graduates were found to be employed in positions commensurate with their preparation, and rewarded by their employers with career advancement, salary increases and promotions. The graduates believed that they had gained the skills needed. They also identified the strengths and weaknesses of the program. Implications of the findings are discussed.

  7. Instructional Technology Courses in Teacher Education: A Study of Inservice Teachers' Perceptions and Recommendations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ntuli, Esther

    2018-01-01

    This article uses OLS and 2SLS regression analysis to examine K-12 educators' perceptions of technology courses that were integrated in their program of study and the extent to which the courses influenced the educators' technology competencies and integration. A purposeful sample of 90 K-12 and 50 non-K-12 teachers in Idaho participated in the…

  8. Practicing the practice: Learning to guide elementary science discussions in a practice-oriented science methods course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shah, Ashima Mathur

    University methods courses are often criticized for telling pre-service teachers, or interns, about the theories behind teaching instead of preparing them to actually enact teaching. Shifting teacher education to be more "practice-oriented," or to focus more explicitly on the work of teaching, is a current trend for re-designing the way we prepare teachers. This dissertation addresses the current need for research that unpacks the shift to more practice-oriented approaches by studying the content and pedagogical approaches in a practice-oriented, masters-level elementary science methods course (n=42 interns). The course focused on preparing interns to guide science classroom discussions. Qualitative data, such as video records of course activities and interns' written reflections, were collected across eight course sessions. Codes were applied at the sentence and paragraph level and then grouped into themes. Five content themes were identified: foregrounding student ideas and questions, steering discussion toward intended learning goals, supporting students to do the cognitive work, enacting teacher role of facilitator, and creating a classroom culture for science discussions. Three pedagogical approach themes were identified. First, the teacher educators created images of science discussions by modeling and showing videos of this practice. They also provided focused teaching experiences by helping interns practice the interactive aspects of teaching both in the methods classroom and with smaller groups of elementary students in schools. Finally, they structured the planning and debriefing phases of teaching so interns could learn from their teaching experiences and prepare well for future experiences. The findings were analyzed through the lens of Grossman and colleagues' framework for teaching practice (2009) to reveal how the pedagogical approaches decomposed, represented, and approximated practice throughout course activities. Also, the teacher educators

  9. "Qualified"? A Framework for Comparing ELT Teacher Preparation Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanley, Phiona; Murray, Neil

    2013-01-01

    There is no standard via which to measure the "qualified" English language teacher in a way that is meaningful to institutions seeking to employ teaching staff. This is significant given that candidates may differ markedly in their language competence, knowledge about language, methodological skills and ability to explain and justify their praxis…

  10. Preparing K-8 Teachers to Conduct Inquiry Oriented Science Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gross, N. A.; Garik, P.; Nolan, M. D.; Winrich, C.; Derosa, D.; Duffy, A.; Jariwala, M.; Konjoian, B.

    2010-12-01

    The need for STEM professional development for K-8 teachers is well documented. Such professional development promises broad impact, but it must have a positive effect on teachers’ knowledge and skills: 1) a focus on content knowledge, 2) opportunities for active learning, and 3) coherence with other activities. However, sustained impact is only achieved through intensive professional development. In response to the need for science education courses for K-8 teachers, for the past three years, the School of Education and the Department of Physics have collaborated to offer K-8 teachers science content courses of extended duration (75 contact hours) that emphasize inquiry based learning and investigation. The School of Education graduate courses have consisted of five three-hour meetings during the months of May and June, and a two week intensive period in July when the participants come for six hours per day. The alignment of these courses with inquiry teaching was confirmed using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP). Courses offered in this format have been: --Immersion in Green Energy (IGE) -alternative sources of energy and how electricity is generated (75 teachers over the last 3 years), --Immersion in Global Energy Distribution (IGED) -understanding global climate as an outcome of insolation, convection, and radiation (27 teachers over the last 2 years) The Immersion courses cover a spectrum for inquiry learning that begins with introduction to equipment and experiments through guided discovery and culminates with students taking responsibility for defining and completing their own investigative projects. As a specific example, we consider here the IGED course. For IGED, the first five sessions are devoted to content and learning to use experimental equipment such as digital data collection probes to measure temperature, CO2 and salinity. Content addressed during these sessions include the differentiation between conduction, convection, and

  11. Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Preparation of High School Physics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Etkina, Eugenia

    2010-01-01

    This paper contains a scholarly description of pedagogical practices of the Rutgers Physics/Physical Science Teacher Preparation program. The program focuses on three aspects of teacher preparation: knowledge of physics, knowledge of pedagogy, and knowledge of how to teach physics (pedagogical content knowledge--PCK). The program has been in place…

  12. Formal and Informal CALL Preparation and Teacher Attitude toward Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kessler, Greg

    2007-01-01

    Recent research suggests that there is a general lack of a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) presence in teacher preparation programs. There is also evidence that teachers obtain a majority of their CALL knowledge from informal sources and personal experience rather than through formalized preparation. Further, graduates of these programs…

  13. Teacher Leader Model Standards: Implications for Preparation, Policy, and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berg, Jill Harrison; Carver, Cynthia L.; Mangin, Melinda M.

    2014-01-01

    Teacher leadership is increasingly recognized as a resource for instructional improvement. Consequently, teacher leader initiatives have expanded rapidly despite limited knowledge about how to prepare and support teacher leaders. In this context, the "Teacher Leader Model Standards" represent an important development in the field. In…

  14. Identifying Program Characteristics for Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Diversity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akiba, Motoko

    2011-01-01

    Background/Context: Educating pre-service teachers to develop multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills for teaching diverse students is a major responsibility of teacher education program coordinators and teacher educators. Numerous studies have discussed and explored the characteristics of teacher preparation that improve pre-service…

  15. Preparing Teachers to Use GIS: The Impact of a Hybrid Professional Development Program on Teachers' Use of GIS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, Steven; Haviland, Don; Moore, William; Tran, Michael

    2016-12-01

    This article reports the findings of a 3-year study of a hybrid professional development program designed to prepare science and mathematics teachers to implement GIS in their classrooms. The study was conducted as part of the CoastLines Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers project funded by the National Science Foundation. Three cohorts of teachers participated in the program, with each participant receiving 40 h of synchronous online instruction and 80 h of in-person instruction and support over an 8-month period. Data from surveys of participants both before and after the program were analyzed using correlation, ordinary least squares, and ordered logit regression analyses. The analyses revealed increases in the self-reported frequency of GIS use and enhanced feelings of preparation, competence, community, and comfort with respect to using GIS for instruction. A composite index of all impact variables was positively influenced as well. The statistical analyses found a strong relationship between self-reported feelings of preparation and use of GIS. Some support was found for the idea that feelings of competence, community, and comfort were related to the teachers' sense of preparation. The findings suggest that a robust hybrid model of teacher professional development can prepare teachers to use GIS in their classrooms. More research is needed to understand how hybrid models influence the sociopsychological and other dimensions that support teachers' feelings of preparation to implement GIS.

  16. Does a Content Area Reading Course Change Preservice Teachers' Attitudes?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Patricia M.

    Over the last two decades a growing number of states have required a content area reading class for secondary education. Preservice teachers in secondary education who are required to enroll in content area reading courses often have little teaching experience and may enter the courses with misconceptions about content area reading. Since…

  17. Preparing Teachers of Tomorrow with Global Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eisenhardt, Sara; Sittason, Kelli S.

    2009-01-01

    Global education advances global perspectives and prepares globally competent citizens. Globally competent citizens know they have an impact on the world and that the world influences them. Global competency is often viewed in terms of three attributes: knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Given the importance of preparing pre-service teachers who…

  18. Design Considerations of a Compounded Sterile Preparations Course

    PubMed Central

    Petraglia, Christine; Mattison, Melissa J.

    2016-01-01

    Objective. To design a comprehensive learning and assessment environment for the practical application of compounded sterile preparations using a constructivist approach. Design. Compounded Sterile Preparations Laboratory is a required 1-credit course that builds upon the themes of training aseptic technique typically used in health system settings and threads application of concepts from other courses in the curriculum. Students used critical-thinking skills to devise appropriate strategies to compound sterile preparations. Assessment. Aseptic technique skills were assessed with objective, structured, checklist-based rubrics. Most students successfully completed practical assessments using appropriate technique (mean assessment grade=83.2%). Almost all students passed the practical media fill (98%) and gloved fingertip sampling (86%) tests on the first attempt; all passed on the second attempt. Conclusion. Employing a constructivist scaffold approach to teaching proper hygiene and aseptic technique prepared students to pass media fill and gloved fingertip tests and to perform well on practical compounding assessments. PMID:26941438

  19. Shaky Methods, Shaky Motives: A Critique of the National Council of Teacher Quality's Review of Teacher Preparation Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fuller, Edward J.

    2014-01-01

    The National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ) recent review of university-based teacher preparation programs concluded the vast majority of such programs were inadequately preparing the nation's teachers. The study, however, has a number of serious flaws that include narrow focus on inputs, lack of a strong research base, missing standards,…

  20. Students with Disabilities in General Education Classrooms: Implications for Teacher Preparation Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldstein, Peggy; Warde, Beverly; Rody, Carla

    2013-01-01

    Given federal mandates, public school districts have adopted inclusive practices with the expectation that general education teachers can accommodate students with disabilities. For teacher preparation programs to prepare future teachers for this reality, it is important to understand the composition of a "typical" general education…

  1. Nature of Teacher-Students' Interaction in Electronic Learning and Traditional Courses of Higher Education--A Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malik, Sufiana Khatoon; Khurshed, Fauzia

    2011-01-01

    Present paper explores differential teacher-student interaction in electronic learning (el) and in face to face traditional learning (tl) courses at higher education. After thorough study literature available and getting information from university teachers teaching el and tl courses about the nature of teacher-students interaction in both modes…

  2. Are Teacher and Principal Candidates Prepared to Address Student Cyberbullying?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Styron, Ronald A., Jr.; Bonner, Jessica L.; Styron, Jennifer L.; Bridgeforth, James; Martin, Cecelia

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the preparation of teacher and principal candidates to address problems created in K-12 settings as a result of cyberbullying. Participants included teacher and principal preparation students. Findings indicated that respondents were familiar with the most common forms of cyberbullying and its impact on…

  3. Exploring Some Design Principles for Tutoring in Preservice Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoffman, James V.; Mosley Wetzel, Melissa

    2017-01-01

    In this article we summarize our research into literacy preservice teacher preparation. We situate our research on tutorials in the practice turn in teacher preparation. We describe the evolution of our work drawing on findings from seven different studies with the goal of identifying the design features of tutorial experiences that promote…

  4. Transforming beliefs and practices: Elementary teacher candidates' development through shared authentic teaching and reflection experiences within an innovative science methods course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naidoo, Kara

    Elementary teachers are criticized for failing to incorporate meaningful science instruction in their classrooms or avoiding science instruction altogether. The lack of adequate science instruction in elementary schools is partially attributed to teacher candidates' anxiety, poor content and pedagogical preparation, and low science teaching self-efficacy. The central premise of this study was that many of these issues could be alleviated through course modifications designed to address these issues. The design tested and presented here provided prospective elementary educators' authentic science teaching experiences with elementary students in a low-stakes environment with the collaboration of peers and science teacher educators. The process of comprehensive reflection was developed for and tested in this study. Comprehensive reflection is individual and collective, written and set in dialogic discourse, focused on past and future behavior, and utilizes video recordings from shared teaching experiences. To test the central premise, an innovative science methods course was designed, implemented and evaluated using a one-group mixed-method design. The focus of the analysis was on changes in self-efficacy, identity and teaching practices as a function of authentic science teaching experiences and comprehensive reflection. The quantitative tools for analysis were t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVA on the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument-B (STEBI-B) and weekly self-rating on confidence as a learner and a teacher of science, respectively. The tools used to analyze qualitative data included thematic analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis. In addition, theoretically grounded tools were developed and used in a case study to determine the ways one prospective educator's science teaching identity was influenced by experiences in the course. The innovative course structure led the development of teacher candidates' science teaching identity

  5. New Structures and Approaches for Teacher Preparation: Do They Make a Difference in Teacher Retention?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Steven A.; Camp, William E.; Adkison, Judith

    Low initial employment rates and high attrition among teachers are factors recognized as major contributors to the national teacher shortage. This research compared the effectiveness of three teacher preparation methods used in Texas: alternative certification programs (ACPs), Centers for Professional Development and Technology (CPDTs), and…

  6. Preparing Teachers to Teach English as an International Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matsuda, Aya, Ed.

    2017-01-01

    This book explores ways to prepare teachers to teach English as an International Language (EIL) and provides theoretically-grounded models for EIL-informed teacher education. The volume includes two chapters that present a theoretical approach and principles in EIL teacher education, followed by a collection of descriptions of field-tested teacher…

  7. Innovative Training of In-service Teachers for Active Learning: A Short Teacher Development Course Based on Physics Education Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zavala, Genaro; Alarcón, Hugo; Benegas, Julio

    2007-08-01

    In this contribution we describe a short development course for in-service physics teachers. The course structure and materials are based on the results of educational research, and its main objective is to provide in-service teachers with a first contact with the active learning strategy “Tutorials in Introductory Physics,” developed by the Physics Education Research Group at the University of Washington. The course was organized in a constructivist, active learning environment, so that teachers have first to experience, as regular students, the whole Tutorial sequence of activities: Tutorial pre-test, Tutorial, and Tutorial Homework. After each Tutorial, teachers reflect on, and recognize their own students’ learning difficulties, discussing their teaching experiences with their colleagues in small collaborative groups first and the whole class later. Finally they read and discuss specific Physics Education Research literature, where these learning difficulties have been extensively studied by researchers. At the beginning and at the end of the course the participants were given the conceptual multiple-choice test Force Concept Inventory (FCI). The pre-/post-instruction FCI data were presented as a practical example of the use of a research-based test widely used in educational research and in formative assessment processes designed to improve instruction.

  8. Developing a science teacher education course that supports student teachers' thinking and teaching about the nature of science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sorensen, Pete; Newton, Len; McCarthy, Sue

    2012-04-01

    Background and purpose . This paper reports on part of an ongoing research project in England concerning the Nature of Science (NOS). The particular focus is on the initial thinking of the graduate scientists starting a one-year, Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course and the way the course approaches adopted influence their views and understanding of NOS and their teaching. The research is set against a wealth of literature indicating that teachers find it difficult to teach curricula that emphasise NOS. Thus a key impetus for research in this area has been to look for ways that beginning teachers might be better prepared to face such challenges. Sample The paper draws on data from three cohorts of secondary PGCE students in a university-schools partnership, involving a total of 169 students. Design and method The research lies within a design research tradition. It has used mixed methods, involving written tasks, interviews and focus groups, with an iterative approach where the outcomes from one cohort have been used to inform course developments in successive years. Results The results from these cohorts suggest that, while the students starting the course have a less restricted view of NOS than indicated by some other studies, in most cases there is a lack of breadth and depth to their understanding. There is some evidence that the use of specific tasks focusing on NOS in university-based sessions may be helping to develop and deepen understanding. However, the impact of current approaches remains fairly limited and attempts to develop teaching practices often face considerable barriers in the school-based practicum. Conclusions Graduate science students' understanding of NOS as they embark on the PGCE is not highly developed. Hence, the emphasis on aspects of NOS in the school curriculum presents a considerable challenge. This study suggests that there is a need to both further develop an explicit focus on NOS in university-based sessions and to

  9. Toward Reconstructing the Narrative of Teacher Education: A Rhetorical Analysis of "Preparing Teachers"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bullough, Robert V., Jr.

    2014-01-01

    Drawing on insights from literary critic and theorist Kenneth Burke, this rhetorical analysis of "Preparing Teachers" (2010), a publication of the National Research Council, reveals then critiques' key assumptions that are shaping policies and current reform efforts in teacher education, including changes in U.S. teacher…

  10. Examining Perceptions of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Teacher Preparation and Teacher Leadership Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samuels, Amy J.; Samuels, Gregory L.; Cook, Tammy M.

    2017-01-01

    The study examined a multi-tiered approach for facilitating learning and examining perceptions about culturally responsive pedagogy in teacher preparation and teacher leadership programs. The study aligned with a learning unit we designed to (1) increase understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy and (2) investigate perceptions of cultural…

  11. Technology in Preparing Teachers for an Information Age.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bright, Larry K.; And Others

    Teacher education can be effectively transformed to prepare educators for the information age. The characteristics of the information age require the application of organization development processes and interactive learning technologies which bring the best results of behavioral and engineering sciences to refocus teacher education structures and…

  12. An exploratory study of the impact of an inquiry-based professional development course on the beliefs and instructional practices of urban inservice teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suters, Leslie Ann

    Five urban teachers completed a total of 50 contact hours of professional development in which they: participated in authentic, inquiry-based experiences facilitated by a scientist; learned new science content related to the nature of science and scientific inquiry; developed inquiry-based lesson plans to implement in their classrooms; and developed science-specific strategies to mentor novice and experienced teachers. The focus of this research was to determine changes in their: beliefs and instructional practices; understanding of scientific literacy; and efficacy toward mentoring other teachers. A collective case study methodology was used in which participants completed questionnaires and were observed and interviewed, prior to and at the completion of the course. They were also asked to complete reflective journal questions during the course. While the teachers' beliefs did not change as measured by the Teacher's Pedagogical Philosophy Interview (TPPI) (teacher-centered beliefs for "Teacher Actions" and "Teacher and Content"; conceptual/student-centered for "Student Actions" and "Philosophy of Teaching"), their teacher-centered behaviors changed to conceptual/student-centered as measured by the Secondary Science Teachers Analysis Matrix (STAM). Their responses to the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) generally correlated with their post-STAM results. Participants gained a better understanding of the creative aspect of the nature of science as measured by the Modified Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale (MNSKS) instrument, while two novice teachers improved their personal science teaching efficacy after participation in the course as measured by the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI). Four of the five teachers felt better prepared to mentor others to use inquiry-based instruction. In contrast to these positive trends, their outcome expectancy beliefs (STEBI subscale) were generally lower than their perceived personal teaching

  13. "Upsetting the Apple Cart": Issues of Diversity in Preservice Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liggett, Tonda; Finley, Susan

    2009-01-01

    Over the last decade, teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities across the United States have attempted to respond to the challenges of preparing teachers for the increasing diversity that is represented in public schools today. Teacher programs have responded to these challenges by altering courses, curriculum, fieldwork…

  14. Teaching, Learning, and Leading: Preparing Teachers as Educational Policy Actors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heineke, Amy J.; Ryan, Ann Marie; Tocci, Charles

    2015-01-01

    Within the current federal, state, and local contexts of educational reform, teachers must be recognized as central actors in policy work, but rarely do we explicitly consider preparing teachers to become policy actors. Understanding these implications for teacher education, we investigate teacher candidates' learning of the complexity and…

  15. Partnerships in Education. Preparing Teachers for the Twenty-First Century.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reyhner, Jon, Ed.

    This book offers a selection of 14 conference papers that present a variety of innovative partnerships for the preparation of teachers and school administrators. Part 1, "Teacher Preparation Partnerships," presents 4 papers: (1) "Ten Years of the Hawaii School/University Partnership" (J.P. Dolly, P.A. Whitesell, and A.P. Port); (2) "The Colton…

  16. Personality Development during Teacher Preparation.

    PubMed

    Corcoran, Roisin P; O'Flaherty, Joanne

    2016-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this 3-year longitudinal study was to examine pre-service teachers' personality trajectories as measured by the IPIP Big-Five factor markers during teacher preparation. The relationship between students' personality traits, social desirability, and prior academic attainment was also examined. Method: This 3-year longitudinal study invited participants from the first year of a 4-year undergraduate (UG) pre-service teacher education program, the class of 2017. The sample consisted of 305 students. Results: The results suggest that extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience were best represented by a non-significant longitudinal change in means. Results also suggest that social desirability predicts agreeableness and emotional stability with small to moderate effect sizes. Conclusion: The study concludes that no value is added to pre-service teachers' personality traits during 3 years of tertiary education. Furthermore, the data presented does not support the view that academic attainment is a good predictor of personality traits. Implications for educational research, theory, and practice are considered.

  17. Roles of Urban Indigenous Community Members in Collaborative Field-Based Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lees, Anna

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative case study explored a community-university partnership for teacher preparation with an urban Indigenous community organization. The study examined the roles of Indigenous community partners as co-teacher educators working to better prepare teachers for the needs of urban Indigenous children and communities. The author collected…

  18. The M/M Center: Meeting the Demand for Multicultural, Multilingual Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Pia Lindquist; Murai, Harold; Berta-Avila, Margarita; William-White, Lisa; Baker, Susan; Arellano, Adele; Echandia, Adriana

    2007-01-01

    The Multilingual/Multicultural Teacher Preparation Center (M/M Center), a teacher preparation program offered by the Bilingual/Multicultural Education Department (BMED) at California State University, Sacramento, is entering its third decade of operation. The M/M Center was established by a group of progressive teacher educators, most with a…

  19. Simulation and the Need for Practice in Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Girod, Mark; Girod, Gerald R.

    2008-01-01

    Recognizing the power of high quality practice in teacher preparation, a web-based simulation called Cook School District was designed to allow teacher candidates to practice the skills necessary to connect their teaching to the learning of all children employing the framework of teacher work samples (TWS). Pilot study data comparing simulation…

  20. Secondary Education Teacher Preparation Programs Should Differentiate Curriculum and Instruction for Traditional and Nontraditional Preservice Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schairer-Kessler, Cynthia J.

    2013-01-01

    Much demand remains for teacher education programs to produce highly qualified teachers. Current trends show that almost half of today's preservice teachers are considered nontraditional in terms of age and life experience. The purpose of this study was to determine whether secondary education teacher preparation programs should differentiate…

  1. Child Development Knowledge and Teacher Preparation: Confronting Assumptions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Lilian G.

    This paper questions the widely held assumption that acquiring knowledge of child development is an essential part of teacher preparation and teaching competence, especially among teachers of young children. After discussing the influence of culture, parenting style, and teaching style on developmental expectations and outcomes, the paper asserts…

  2. Preparing Minority Teachers: Law and out of Order

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barnes-Johnson, Joy M.

    2008-01-01

    The inability of American colleges and universities to produce teachers for America's urban classrooms has reached epidemic proportions. This article seeks to describe the legal effects of policies and laws designed to create conditions for highly qualified teaching professionals. Issues germane to the topic of urban teacher preparation and…

  3. Mentoring: A New Approach to Geography Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bednarz, Sarah Witham; Bockenhauer, Mark H.; Walk, Fred H.

    2005-01-01

    Geography teacher preparation is an ongoing problem for the discipline. Changes in certification requirements and federal and state educational policies have diminished the role of colleges and universities in educating teachers. At the same time, geography education reform efforts have resulted in higher standards and an increased quantity of…

  4. Considering the Future of University-Based Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fraser, James W.

    2014-01-01

    In this commentary, James W. Fraser, a noted historian of education, cites examples from several teacher education programs at more than 30 universities partnering with the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships in various ways. Additionally, Fraser reviews decades of challenges to traditional teacher preparation, looks at some current reforms, and…

  5. Preparing New Teachers: Operating Successful Field Experience Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Slick, Gloria Appelt, Ed.

    This is the second in a series of four books presenting a variety of field experience program models and philosophies that drive the programs provided to preservice teachers during their undergraduate teacher preparation. This publication addresses the operational aspects of a successfully functioning field experience program and office. The…

  6. Becoming-Teacher: The Negotiation of Teaching Practice of First-Year Secondary Science Teachers Prepared in a Hybrid Urban Teacher Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strom, Kathryn Jill

    2014-01-01

    While research suggests that new teachers work to put into practice the pedagogy learned from their preservice preparation programs during their first year of teaching, they often resort to traditional, teacher-centered pedagogies even when prepared to use innovative practices, particularly in urban schools. Relatively little is known, however,…

  7. Toward a Culture of Evidence: Factors Affecting Survey Assessment of Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beare, Paul; Marshall, James; Torgerson, Colleen; Tracz, Susan; Chiero, Robin

    2012-01-01

    Developing a culture of evidence to assess and improve teacher preparation programs is a critical issue in American education. Teacher education has been struggling with the challenge of preparing and retaining sufficient numbers of high-quality teachers who can work effectively with students from all cultural and racial backgrounds, raising the…

  8. The effect of certification and preparation on teacher quality.

    PubMed

    Boyd, Donald; Goldhaber, Daniel; Lankford, Hamilton; Wyckoff, James

    2007-01-01

    To improve the quality of the teacher workforce, some states have tightened teacher preparation and certification requirements while others have eased requirements and introduced "alternative" ways of being certified to attract more people to teaching. Donald Boyd, Daniel Goldhaber, Hamilton Lankford, and James Wyckoff evaluate these seemingly contradictory strategies by examining how preparation and certification requirements affect student achivement. If strong requirements improve student outcomes and deter relatively few potential teachers, the authors say, then they may well be good policy. But if they have little effect on student achievement, if they seriously deter potential teachers, or if schools are able to identify applicants who will produce good student outcomes, then easing requirements becomes a more attractive policy. In reviewing research on these issues, the authors find that evidence is often insufficient to draw conclusions. They do find that highly selective alternative route programs can produce effective teachers who perform about the same as teachers from traditional routes after two years on the job. And they find that teachers who score well on certification exams can improve student outcomes somewhat. Limited evidence suggests that certification requirements can diminish the pool of applicants, but there is no evidence on how they affect student outcomes. And the authors find that schools have a limited ability to identify attributes in prospective teachers that allow them to improve student achievement. The authors conclude that the research evidence is simply too thin to have serious implications for policy. Given the enormous investment in teacher preparation and certification and given the possibility that these requirements may worsen student outcomes, the lack of convincing evidence is disturbing. The authors urge researchers and policymakers to work together to move to a more informed position where good resource decisions can be

  9. Teacher Preparation in Ethiopia: A Critical Analysis of Reforms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Semela, Tesfaye

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to provide a more comprehensive picture of teacher preparation in Ethiopia on top of a closer scrutiny of current teacher education reforms. In particular, it presents teacher education within the context of policy implementation over the last six decades by highlighting key reforms and how these reforms impacted the…

  10. Infusing Culturally Responsive Science Curriculum into Early Childhood Teacher Preparation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Jiyoon; Martin, Leisa A.

    2017-08-01

    Previous research studies in early childhood teacher education have indicated that teacher candidates are not adequately prepared to demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to teach science to all children including culturally and linguistically diverse students. To address this issue, the researchers provided 31 early childhood teacher candidates with instructions through a culturally responsive science education curriculum that integrates American and Korean science curriculum corresponding to the American and Korean standards for teacher education. The results showed a statistically significant increase in their Personal Science Teaching Efficacy (PSTE). In addition, the teacher candidates were able to create a multicultural/diverse lesson in the developing and proficiency levels based on Ambrosio's lesson matrix. This study provides teacher candidates' knowledge as well as an additional resource for developing their self-efficacy and understanding the role of multicultural/diverse lesson planning for science instruction. Also, teacher candidates could be better prepared by understanding how other countries approach science education and integrating this knowledge to enrich their own science instruction.

  11. Occupational Component. 36-Level Courses. Teacher Resource Manual. Integrated Occupational Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Curriculum Branch.

    This 36-level occupational component of Integrated Occupational Program (IOP) consists of 8 occupational clusters composed of 20 occupational courses. Each course contains learning activities so that students in Alberta (Canada) may develop occupational concepts, skills, and attitudes. This teacher's manual consists of the following sections:…

  12. Is There a Need for a Course in Creativity in Teacher Education?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mohan, Madan

    Teacher education is in urgent need of reform so that teacher behavior is compatible with the philosophy of education and the changing needs of our schools and community. The changed societal and professional needs of teachers must be realized. A course for creativity was proposed for senior graduate students in the Department of Education of a…

  13. Developing and using online courses to prepare nurses for employment in critical care.

    PubMed

    Billings, Diane M; Jeffries, Pamela R; Daniels, Dawn Marie; Rowles, Connie; Stone, Cynthia L; Stephenson, Evelyn

    2006-01-01

    Using online courses is one way to simplify orientation programs and leverage educator resources. Three critical care courses were created using a distributed authoring model with geographically diverse clinical experts. A companion online orientation course prepares preceptors to assist with clinical application. Course outcomes include preparation for practice, career mobility/advancement, and learner satisfaction.

  14. Globalization and the Preparation of Quality Teachers: Rethinking Knowledge Domains for Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goodwin, A. Lin

    2010-01-01

    Preparing quality teachers has become a global concern as all nations strive for excellence at all levels. Yet, there is little consensus around what constitutes quality and how quality teachers might best be attained. This article takes up the issue of quality teacher preparation by exploring several pivotal questions: What might quality teaching…

  15. A Study of the Perceptions of First-Year Teachers as Prepared Classroom Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Vida Jane

    2015-01-01

    The quality of teacher education allows first-year teachers to meet mandates at federal and state levels (Darling-Hammond, 2010a). The teaching profession is complex and requires new and innovative quality preparation programs (Wei, Andree, & Darling-Hammond, 2009). This study involved examination of the perceptions of 17 building principals…

  16. Rethinking Teacher Preparation: Conceptualizing Skills and Knowledge of Novice Teachers of Secondary Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cummings, Margarita Borelli

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation examines the extent to which novice secondary mathematics teachers (licensed and currently teaching in Utah) perceive they are prepared to do the work of teaching secondary mathematics. It first examined if novice secondary mathematics teachers' perceptions of their knowledge and skills of doing their work fell into four…

  17. The Preparation of Highly Motivated and Professionally Competent Teachers in Initial Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, Sylvia Y. F.; Wong, Angel K. Y.; Cheng, May M. H.

    2015-01-01

    Education systems around the world need to recruit highly motivated individuals to become teachers and prepare professionally competent teacher education graduates to take up these broadened and deepened roles and responsibilities with a deep and lasting engagement to the profession. This article reports on a mixed-methods study that examines…

  18. Designing e-Portfolios to Support Professional Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tran, Tu; Baker, Robert; Pensavalle, Margo

    2006-01-01

    Tu Tran, Robert Baker, and Margo Pensavalle present e-portfolio technology as an effective tool in teacher preparation. Because e-portfolios chronicle students' learning outcomes, they provide a picture of students' development that can be used in response to increased demands for assessment of student teachers and increasingly standards-based…

  19. A Mixed Methods Study of Teach for America Teachers' Mathematical Beliefs, Knowledge, and Classroom Teaching Practices during a Reform-Based University Mathematics Methods Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swars, Susan Lee

    2015-01-01

    This mixed methods study examined the mathematical preparation of elementary teachers in a Teach for America (TFA) program, focal participants for whom there is scant extant research. Data collection occurred before and after a university mathematics methods course, with a particular focus on the participants' (n = 22) mathematical beliefs,…

  20. Preparing Urban High School Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlson, Kenneth

    This is a brief personal review of the Rutgers University urban internship program which is operated in conjunction with the New Jersey Urban Education Corps. The purpose of the program is to prepare liberal arts graduates to be secondary school teachers in urban areas. The recruiting of the interns took place mostly at black colleges and…

  1. Early Literacy Teacher Preparation: One University's Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berenato, Carolyn; Severino, Lori

    2017-01-01

    Colleges and universities can have an impact on the entire field of education when preparing teachers for one of the most challenging part of the job: teaching literacy. When teachers are properly trained and have a toolbox of strategies and teaching techniques to use, they can have a tremendous impact on student learning. In teacher preparation…

  2. Teachers' Difficulties in Preparation and Implementation of Performance Task

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Metin, Mustafa

    2013-01-01

    The aim of study is to determinate the difficulties of teachers in preparation and implementation of performance task. This study was carried out with 25 teachers (5 science and technology, 5 primary, 5 mathematic, 5 social science and 5 Turkish teachers) who working at elementary schools in Artvin. Sample of study is selected randomly. Case study…

  3. Changes in Teachers' Adaptive Expertise in an Engineering Professional Development Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Taylor; Peacock, Stephanie Baker; Ko, Pat; Rudolph, Jennifer J.

    2015-01-01

    Although the consensus seems to be that high-school-level introductory engineering courses should focus on design, this creates a problem for teacher training. Traditionally, math and science teachers are trained to teach and assess factual knowledge and closed-ended problem-solving techniques specific to a particular discipline, which is unsuited…

  4. Inservice Education Needs of Teachers of Pilot Agriscience Courses in Mississippi.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newman, Michael E.; Johnson, Donald M.

    1994-01-01

    Most of the 31 (of 39) teachers of pilot agriscience courses surveyed considered themselves competent and thought the units were important. Most pressing inservice needs were in the areas of biotechnology, computers, and mechanical/physical technology. Teachers perceived a lack of instructional materials for these and other less traditional areas,…

  5. An Examination of the Influences of a Teacher Preparation Program on Beginning Teachers' Reading Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Sarah K.; Jones, Cindy D.; Reutzel, D. Ray; Andreasen, Lindi

    2013-01-01

    In this study, we tracked elementary preservice teachers' (N = 41) perceived ability to teach reading as they moved through their teacher preparation program. After graduation, we conducted follow-up teaching observations and interviews with five of these novice teachers to explore their perceptions about their ability to teach reading. An…

  6. Integrating Universal Design and Response to Intervention in Methods Courses for General Education Mathematics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buchheister, Kelley; Jackson, Christa; Taylor, Cynthia E.

    2014-01-01

    Traditionally, teacher education programs have placed little emphasis on preparing mathematics teachers to work with students who struggle in mathematics. Therefore, it is crucial that mathematics teacher educators explicitly prepare prospective teachers to instruct students who struggle with mathematics by providing strategies and practices that…

  7. Student Teachers' Understanding and Application of Assessment for Learning during a Physical Education Teacher Education Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lorente-Catalán, Eloisa; Kirk, David

    2016-01-01

    There is widespread consensus on the need for assessment for learning (AfL) in both university courses and school programmes. Given the prevalence of traditional practices in school physical education where assessment is basic or non-existent, we might ask whether AfL is present in physical education teacher education (PETE) courses. Where it is,…

  8. Improving the Mathematics Preparation of Elementary Teachers, One Lesson at a Time

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berk, Dawn; Hiebert, James

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, we describe a model for systematically improving the mathematics preparation of elementary teachers, one lesson at a time. We begin by identifying a serious obstacle for teacher educators: the absence of mechanisms for developing a shareable knowledge base for teacher preparation. We propose our model as a way to address this…

  9. Origin of the Species: An Epistemological Tale of Classroom Management Theory and the Evolution of a Teacher Preparation Course Syllabus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hertel, Nichole L.

    2012-01-01

    This dissertation dually explores the topics of classroom management theory as it occurs in teacher preparation programs in American colleges of education and of curriculum syllabus design of undergraduate education classes teaching such. It begins with the classroom management and teaching pedagogical knowledges gained through my experience as a…

  10. Preservice Teachers' Computer Use in Single Computer Training Courses; Relationships and Predictions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zogheib, Salah

    2015-01-01

    Single computer courses offered at colleges of education are expected to provide preservice teachers with the skills and expertise needed to adopt computer technology in their future classrooms. However, preservice teachers still find difficulty adopting such technology. This research paper investigated relationships among preservice teachers'…

  11. Academy for Teacher Excellence: Recruiting, Preparing, and Retaining Latino Teachers through Learning Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flores, Belinda Bustos; Clark, Ellen Riojas; Claeys, Lorena; Villarreal, Abelardo

    2007-01-01

    The Academy for Teacher Excellence (ATE) at the University of Texas at San Antonio and San Antonio College is proposed as a comprehensive model whose overarching goals include: (1) creating a learning ecology that values diversity and prepares teacher candidates for work in diverse communities; (2) increasing the number of Latino students pursuing…

  12. Changing Teacher Preparation for California's Changing Secondary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farnan, Nancy; Hudis, Paula M.; LaPlante, Arlene

    2014-01-01

    In this article, the authors describe how one group of California teacher educators has responded to the call for high school dropout rates with new thinking and action in regard to making teacher preparation a key strategy for reducing the dropout rates, raising student academic achievement, and eliminating the pervasive inequities in learning…

  13. Preparing Global Educators: New Challenges for Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Emihovich, Catherine

    2008-01-01

    With few exceptions, global and international education issues have not dominated the discourse or research on teacher education until recently. Merryfield (1995) notes that in the 1980s the National Governors Association called for teachers to be better prepared in global education and international studies, and in 1994 the National Council for…

  14. Investigating Teacher Presence in Courses Using Synchronous Videoconferencing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rehn, Nicole; Maor, Dorit; McConney, Andrew

    2016-01-01

    This research examines teacher presence in high school distance courses that are delivered by synchronous videoconference. In rural and remote areas, many school districts are using videoconferencing as way to reach dispersed students. This collective case study uses mixed methods to unpack the notion of presence from the perspective of teachers…

  15. Food Preparation and Service, Course Description.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Thomas C.; Anderson, Floyd L.

    Prepared by an instructor and curriculum development specialist of the Minnesota Work Opportunity Center, this course is designed to help dropout and/or hard-core unemployed youth develop knowledge and skills needed for food service occupations. Originally, students were allowed to enter training at any time and for any block of time, but this…

  16. Certification of Physical Education Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bentz, Susan K.

    The author discusses various trends in the preparation of physical education teachers, including emphasis on Title IX requirements and handicapped child needs. Future directions in teacher certification are surveyed, and it is urged that certification be based upon sequential training programs rather than course accumulation-credit hour…

  17. An Analysis of the Survey of Schools of Education on Use of Data in Their Teacher Preparation Programs: An Interim Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    WestEd, 2013

    2013-01-01

    This report documents the work of one component of a larger research effort. The objective of the project is to understand what schools of education are doing to prepare teachers to use data in their practice. The issue is multifaceted, complex, and systemic. Schools of education do not act alone to suddenly introduce courses on data-driven…

  18. The Role of Opportunities to Learn in Teacher Preparation for EFL Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    König, Johannes; Tachtsoglou, Sarantis; Lammerding, Sandra; Strauß, Sarah; Nold, Günter; Rohde, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    The study examines the connection between domain-specific learning opportunities in English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher preparation and preservice EFL teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Using a sample of 444 preservice EFL teachers for secondary schools, it contrasts groups at the end of the 2 phases required in German teacher…

  19. A Collaboration Between University and High School in Preparing Physics Teachers: Chicago State University's Teacher Immersion Institutea)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sabella, Mel S.; Van Duzor, Andrea G.; Passehl, Jennie; Weisenburger, Kara

    2012-05-01

    Because of the diverse character of colleges and universities throughout the United States, it is naive to believe that a one-size-fits-all model of teacher preparation aligns with specific resources and student population needs. Exploring innovative models that challenge traditional programs is now being encouraged by organizations such as the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Physical Society. Chicago State University (CSU) is now exploring exciting changes to its physics teacher preparation program by utilizing the expertise of Chicago Area teachers and early teaching experiences for students interested in, but not yet committed to, the physics teaching profession.

  20. Children's Literacy Growth, and Candidates' and Teachers' Professional Development Resulting from a PDS-Based Initial Certification Literacy Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosenthal, Julie L.; Donnantuono, Marie; Lebron, Mary; Flynn, Christina

    2017-01-01

    This paper reports the effects on children, teacher candidates, and classroom teachers of a PDS-based initial certification course in the teaching of literacy. In this course, teacher candidates work with individual struggling readers on a range of literacy tasks, and the classroom teacher and university faculty member serve as course…

  1. Moral Literacy through Two Lenses: Pre-Service Teachers' Preparation for Character Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rizzo, Kelly; Bajovic, Mira

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we explored how well prepared pre-service teacher candidates are to develop moral literacy. With the mandate in Ontario schools to deliver character education, we were intrigued by the question: How well prepared are teacher candidates to deliver on this requirement based on preservice preparation and the realities of classroom…

  2. The Professional Preparation of Middle Level Teachers: Profiles of Successful Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McEwin, C. Kenneth; Dickinson, Thomas S.

    This publication focuses on 14 colleges and universities that are successfully meeting the challenge of preparing middle level teachers. After the Foreword (John H. Swaim), the 16 chapters are: (1) "Middle Level Teacher Preparation in Perspective"; (2) "Elizabeth City State University" (Eloise B. Roberts); (3) "Georgia Southwestern College" (Lynn…

  3. 2014 Teacher Prep Review: A Review of the Nation's Teacher Preparation Programs. Revised

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greenberg, Julie; Walsh, Kate; McKee, Arthur

    2015-01-01

    Ever so slowly, the United States is taking a harder look at how its teacher preparation schools are improving the quality of the teachers they produce. The signs are everywhere--from proposed federal action to state legislatures and school boards passing new oversight laws and regulations, to a newly marshaled push for stronger accreditation by…

  4. Improving sexuality education: the development of teacher-preparation standards.

    PubMed

    Barr, Elissa M; Goldfarb, Eva S; Russell, Susan; Seabert, Denise; Wallen, Michele; Wilson, Kelly L

    2014-06-01

    Teaching sexuality education to support young people's sexual development and overall sexual health is both needed and supported. Data continue to highlight the high rates of teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, among young people in the United States as well as the overwhelming public support for sexuality education instruction. In support of the implementation of the National Sexuality Education Standards, the current effort focuses on better preparing teachers to deliver sexuality education. An expert panel was convened by the Future of Sex Education Initiative to develop teacher-preparation standards for sexuality education. Their task was to develop standards and indicators that addressed the unique elements intrinsic to sexuality education instruction. Seven standards and associated indicators were developed that address professional disposition, diversity and equity, content knowledge, legal and professional ethics, planning, implementation, and assessment. The National Teacher-Preparation Standards for Sexuality Education represent an unprecedented unified effort to enable prospective health education teachers to become competent in teaching methodology, theory, practice of pedagogy, content, and skills, specific to sexuality education. Higher education will play a key role in ensuring the success of these standards. © 2014, American School Health Association.

  5. Ways to Include Global Climate Change in Courses for Prospective Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Zee, Emily; Grobart, Emma; Roberts-Harris, Deborah

    2016-01-01

    What responsibility do science teacher educators have for engaging students in learning about global climate change in courses? How can the topic of global climate change be added to an already packed course curriculum? The authors have begun assembling instructional resources and learning ways others have incorporated global climate change in…

  6. Teacher Preparation for Mainstreaming: Small College Case Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Pamela R.

    A project at Fort Lewis College (Durango, Colorado) was designed to reconceptualize elementary and secondary teacher preparation programs by infusing special education content so graduates would be prepared to provide instruction for individual differences mandated by mainstreaming legislation. In Phase I, curriculum was developed based on…

  7. A Computer Course for Business Students: Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waterhouse, Ann

    This teacher's guide is for a course designed to teach business students the fundamentals of the BASIC language and computer programming using a series of business-oriented programs. Each lesson contains an introduction, flow charts, and computer programs. The six lesson topics are print-out and format control, count-average, withholding tax…

  8. Psychology Teacher's Resource Book. First Course, Third Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Margo, Ed.; Wertheimer, Michael, Ed.

    Now in its third edition, this book contains background materials and resources for teaching introductory high school psychology. There are 11 chapters. Textbooks appropriate for introductory courses are reviewed in the first chapter. Books of reading which are a potentially valuable source of information to both student and teacher are listed in…

  9. Educating for Global Perspectives: A Study of Teacher Preparation Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poolea, Cyndi Mottola; Russell, William B., III

    2015-01-01

    Multiple global education frameworks have suggested that two keys to globalizing teacher education curricula are the integration of global content courses and participation in co-curricular cross-cultural experiences. Therefore, this study sought to determine the extent to which global content courses and co-curricular cross-cultural experiences…

  10. Rural Adapted Physical Education Teacher Preparation Programs: A Pilot Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palma, Gloria M.; DePauw, Karen

    1990-01-01

    Among 22 teacher educators of adapted physical education, 10 reported that their institutions offered a degree program in adapted physical education; 4 of these required practical training in rural districts. Eighteen institutions required an undergraduate course in adapted physical education; 12 of these courses contained a rural-oriented…

  11. Evidence of the Need to Prepare Prospective Teachers to Engage in Mathematics Consultations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Ingen, Sarah; Eskelson, Samuel L.; Allsopp, David

    2016-01-01

    The mathematics consultation represents a powerful opportunity for mathematics teachers to leverage the knowledge base of special education professionals to advance equity for students with special education needs. Yet, most teacher preparation programs do not specifically prepare prospective teachers to engage in mathematics-specific…

  12. Long-term attitude sustainability from a constructivist-based astronomy-for-teachers course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slater, T. F.; Safko, J. L.; Carpenter, J. R.

    Survey performed four years after in-service teachers (elementary and middle school) took a special astronomy course using constructivist approach. Attitudes and confidence toward teaching astronomy did not decline during this time, implying that properly designed courses have long-term effectiveness.

  13. Relationships between Mathematics Teacher Preparation and Graduates' Analyses of Classroom Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hiebert, James; Berk, Dawn; Miller, Emily

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate the relationships between mathematics teacher preparation and graduates' analyses of classroom teaching. Fifty-three graduates from an elementary teacher preparation program completed 4 video-based, analysis-of-teaching tasks in the semester before graduation and then in each of the 3…

  14. Preparing Teachers for a Mission: Six Lessons Shared with the Military

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vespia, Kathleen L.; McGann, Barbara E.; Gibbons, Thomas J.

    2016-01-01

    Vast research and personal testimonies provide strong evidence that a highly effective teacher plays a critical role in the successes of their students, particularly those at risk of underachievement. That same evidence is now being demanded of teacher preparation programs. By comparison, military preparation programs have long been outcome-based…

  15. Professional and Creative Development of Natural Geographic Course Teachers within the Process of Professional Retraining

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samigullina, Galina Savelevna; Gilmanchina, Syriya Irekovna; Gaisin, Ilgisar Timergalievich; Gilmanshin, Iskander Rafailevich; Rafailevna, Akchurina Ilsia

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to analyse the professional and creative development of natural geographic course teachers of the Republic of Tatarstan in the process of professional retraining. The method for work performing is a retrospective analysis of professional retraining of natural geographic course teachers within the higher professional…

  16. Teaching Pharmacology to College Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerald, Michael C.

    1978-01-01

    Although pharmaceutical and biomedical educators are best prepared for teaching undergraduate nonprofessional drug-related courses, few students can capitalize upon such expertise. An alternative described by a course director is to train the college teachers of such students. Major topics presented and representative interim projects are…

  17. New Teachers and Technology Preparation: Immersion or Infusion?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Egeland, Paul

    2009-01-01

    In the 21st Century, it is imperative for new teachers to be well prepared for utilizing technology to enhance instruction and increase student learning. While this is true for all teacher education programs it may be more challenging for those steeped in the liberal arts. With an emphasis on thinking liberally and understanding a breadth of…

  18. Technoscientific French for Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muller, Brigitte D.

    A two-semester sequence of courses in French and Spanish for science and technology at Eastern Michigan University responds to alumni demands for better linguistic and cultural preparation for increasingly global business and industry. In addition, high schools teacher enrolled in the courses find they answer a need for professional upgrading of…

  19. An alternative path to improving university Earth science teaching and developing the geoscience workforce: Postdoctoral research faculty involvement in clinical teacher preparation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zirakparvar, N. A.; Sessa, J.; Ustunisik, G. K.; Nadeau, P. A.; Flores, K. E.; Ebel, D. S.

    2013-12-01

    It is estimated that by the year 2020 relative to 2009, there will be 28% more Earth Science jobs paying ≥ $75,000/year1 in the U.S.A. These jobs will require advanced degrees, but compared to all arts and science advanced degrees, the number of physical science M.S. and Ph.D. awarded per year decreased from 2.5% in 1980 to 1.5% in 20092. This decline is reflected on a smaller scale and at a younger age: in the New York City school system only 36% of all 8th graders have basic proficiency in science 3. These figures indicate that the lack achievement in science starts at a young age and then extends into higher education. Research has shown that students in grades 7 - 12 4,5 and in university level courses 6 both respond positively to high quality science teaching. However, much attention is focused on improving science teaching in grades 7- 12, whereas at many universities lower level science courses are taught by junior research and contingent faculty who typically lack formal training, and sometimes interest, in effective teaching. The danger here is that students might enter university intending to pursue geoscience degrees, but then encounter ineffective instructors, causing them to lose interest in geoscience and thus pursue other disciplines. The crux of the matter becomes how to improve the quality of university-level geoscience teaching, without losing sight of the major benchmark of success for research faculty - scholarly publications reporting innovative research results. In most cases, it would not be feasible to sidetrack the research goals of early career scientists by placing them into a formal teacher preparation program. But what happens when postdoctoral research scientists take an active role in clinical teacher preparation as part of their research appointments? The American Museum of Natural History's Masters of Arts in Teaching (AMNH-MAT) urban residency pilot program utilizes a unique approach to grade 7 - 12 Earth Science teacher

  20. Developing a Motivational Teaching Practice in EFL Teachers in Slovakia: Challenges of Promoting Teacher Change in EFL Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kubanyiova, Magdalena

    2006-01-01

    Raising awareness of the teacher's role in creating conducive learning environments has not traditionally been part of the aims of EFL teacher preparation programmes. This longitudinal mixed methods study explores the impact of a 20-hour experiential in-service teacher development course with the knowledge base drawn from L2 motivation theory,…

  1. Pre-Service Science Teacher Preparation in China: Challenges and Promises

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Enshan; Liu, Cheng; Wang, Jian

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this article was to present an overview of pre-service science teacher preparation in China, which is heavily influenced by Chinese tradition, Confucianism, and rapid social and economic development. The policies, science teacher education systems and related programs jointly contribute to producing enough science teachers for…

  2. Reimagining Understandings of Literacy in Teacher Preparation Programs Using Digital Literacy Autobiographies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McTavish, Marianne; Filipenko, Margot

    2016-01-01

    This article examines preservice teachers' understandings and beliefs about literacy in the 21st century specifically at the beginning of their teacher education program. In particular, the authors explored preservice teachers' responses to the first assignment of their foundations literacy course for evidence of their emerging beliefs and…

  3. Implementing Geographical Key Concepts: Design of a Symbiotic Teacher Training Course Based on Empirical and Theoretical Evidence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fögele, Janis; Mehren, Rainer

    2015-01-01

    A central desideratum for the professionalization of qualified teachers is an improved practice of further teacher education. The present work constitutes a course of in-service training, which is built upon both a review of empirical findings concerning the efficacy of in-service training courses for teachers and theoretical assumptions about the…

  4. Beginning Teachers Reflect on Their Experiences Being Prepared to Teach Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Helfrich, Sara R.; Bean, Rita M.

    2011-01-01

    A descriptive study was employed to investigate beginning teachers' experiences with reading instruction in their teacher preparation programs and to determine what areas of need have emerged now that they are practicing teachers. Data collection instruments included a reflective survey and telephone interviews. Beginning teachers perceived…

  5. Dialogic Praxis in Teacher Preparation: A Discourse Analysis of Mentoring Talk

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bieler, Deborah

    2010-01-01

    This study examined the complexities of mentoring discourse and agentive teacher preparation. I argue that such an examination is necessary to better prepare student teachers to engage agentively with the powerful status quo in schools. I begin by discussing the intersections of current thinking about mentoring and dialogue, and I describe how…

  6. Sexual Orientation Topics in Elementary Teacher Preparation Programs in the USA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jennings, Todd; Sherwin, Gary

    2008-01-01

    This investigation is a descriptive study documenting the inclusion of sexual orientation (gay and lesbian) topics in a sample of 65 public university elementary teacher preparation programs across the USA (representing the preparation of 14,000-19,000 new teachers annually). Findings indicate that only 55.6% of programs address sexual orientation…

  7. Reconsidering Assumptions of Beginner Teachers' Needs: An Examination of Commonly Used Pronunciation Textbooks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zimmerman, Erin

    2018-01-01

    Novice teachers often look to textbooks and teacher's manuals for guidance when preparing courses, learning course content, and delivering instruction to students. In the field of pronunciation, however, materials creators face an unusual difficulty when designing resources because beginner teachers often are not truly novices: They might have…

  8. Professional Development and IELTS Training Course: A Case of EFL Teachers in Iran

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashraf, Hamid; Kafi, Zeinab

    2016-01-01

    The current study aimed at investigating the status of Professional Development (PD) through examining teachers' perspectives over how effective they consider exam specific teacher training courses (IELTS in this case) which aim at increasing their PD. To this end, a group of EFL teachers, from different language schools in Mashhad, Iran took part…

  9. The Mathematics Education I and II Courses' Effect on Teacher Candidates' Development of Number Sense

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yaman, Hakan

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to examine the number sense performance of the classroom teacher candidates taking the Mathematics Education I and II courses. Moreover, it investigates whether there is a change in the number sense performance of the teacher candidates following the Mathematics Education I and II courses. Embedded experimental…

  10. Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Images of Science Teaching in Constructivism Science Education Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Go, Youngmi; Kang, Jinju

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, it investigates the self-images of science teaching held by early childhood pre-service teachers who took constructivism early childhood science education courses. Second, it analyzes what aspects of those courses influenced these images. The participants were eight pre-service teachers who took these…

  11. Preparation of course materials: Elementary mathematics of powered flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rublein, George T.

    1994-01-01

    Non-science students at William and Mary will soon be required to take a mathematics course in order to earn a bachelor's degree. A standard menu of technique courses is the usual way in which universities provide for this requirement: Trigonometry, probability, geometry for teachers, and the like. In this work, we attempt to break away from these largely unsuccessful choices. Our intent is to prepare material that sets a variety of simple mathematical procedures in the context of a commonly experienced part of students' lives: riding in commercial airplanes. The work, begun last summer at Langley, is now close to completion and trial in upcoming fall term at William and Mary. As of this writing, the narrative is complete for 12 to 14 projected sections. We have prepared material on wind triangles, wind roses, navigation maps, drag induced loss of velocity for unpowered missiles (tennis balls), luggage and its effect on center of gravity, localized magnetic declination and VOR orientation, geometry of great circles, terminal velocity for falling bodies, pressure vessels: tires and balloons and blimps, global structure of declination lines, map projections (mercator, azimuthal equidistant, Lambert), ears and their reaction to altitude change. The next section will treat lift, drag and thrust. The last will treat control surfaces. The entire approach avoids any effort to investigate mathematical topics that arise in the solution of problems. And by the same token, we avoid any organized attempt to explain aeronautical engineering, even on an elementary level. We look only at enough mathematics to do a problem and we select only engineering topics that permit some kind of (elementary) mathematical analysis. In the end, we will think of the material as successful if two things happen: Students must come away with some confidence that even lay people can quantify parts of their surroundings. Other potential instructors must be willing to gain enough familiarity with the

  12. Changing Course: Reflections of Second-Career Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Darrell

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the phenomenon of second-career teachers. The participants in this study shared their reflections concerning the motivating factors and common experiences associated with leaving established professions in order to pursue careers in teaching. The study also inquired into the process involved in professional preparation as well…

  13. Preparing Content Area Teachers for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction: The Role of Literacy Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fang, Zhihui

    2014-01-01

    The recent call for secondary reading instruction to move away from a focus on generic literacy strategies to discipline-specific language and literacy practices presents new challenges for secondary teacher preparation. This column identifies some of the roles literacy teacher educators can play in helping address these challenges.

  14. Characterizing STEM Teacher Education: Affordances and Constraints of Explicit STEM Preparation for Elementary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rinke, Carol R.; Gladstone-Brown, Wendy; Kinlaw, C. Ryan; Cappiello, Jean

    2016-01-01

    Although science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education sits at the center of a national conversation, comparatively little attention has been given to growing need for STEM teacher preparation, particularly at the elementary level. This study analyzes the outcomes of a novel, preservice STEM teacher education model. Building…

  15. Developing Socially Just Teachers: The Interaction of Experiences before, during, and after Teacher Preparation in Beginning Urban Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whipp, Joan L.

    2013-01-01

    This interpretive study investigated how 12 graduates from a justice-oriented teacher preparation program described their teaching goals, practices, and influences on those practices after their 1st year of teaching in an urban school. Relationships among these teachers' orientations toward socially just teaching, self-reported socially just…

  16. Novice Teachers' Use of Student Thinking and Learning as Evidence of Teaching Effectiveness: A Longitudinal Study of Video-Enhanced Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santagata, Rossella; Taylor, Karen

    2018-01-01

    This study examines whether preservice teachers' experiences with video analyses during teacher preparation have long-lasting effects on their practices once they enter the profession. Specifically, the authors examined whether teachers who had opportunities to analyze student thinking and learning during teacher preparation continued to do so…

  17. Exploring Elementary Mathematics Teachers' Opportunities to Learn to Teach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cavanna, Jillian M.; Drake, Corey; Pak, Byungeun

    2017-01-01

    Mathematics teacher education is faced with the challenge of preparing new teachers for ambitious instruction, but we have limited understandings of what happens within the courses where this preparation occurs. This paper draws on interview data from of a larger investigation of novices' enactment of ambitious instruction in elementary…

  18. Evaluating Preparation Programs for School Leaders and Teachers in Specialty Areas.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berney, Mary F., Ed.; Ayers, Jerry B., Ed.

    This book is a guide to evaluating the educational programs for preparation of school administrators, school counselors and psychologists, school library media specialists, vocational education teachers, special education teachers, health and physical education teachers, and music and visual arts education teachers. It is a practical guide to the…

  19. Changing Teacher Preparation in Art Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henry, Carole; Lazzari, Mary

    2007-01-01

    Within art education, Day (1997) and others (for example; Beudert, 2006; Galbraith, 2001; Galbraith & Grauer, 2004; Hutchens, 1997; Sabol, 2004; Thurber, 2004; Zimmerman, 1997, 2004) have called for increased research into teacher preparation in order to understand current practice, to recognize what is working well, and to determine directions…

  20. Reading African-American Literature to Understand the World: Critical Race Praxis in Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katsarou, Eleni

    2009-01-01

    Teacher preparation programs have come under close scrutiny and teacher educators are being called to shift the center of gravity from traditional approaches to more transformative and urban-focused curricula that will better prepare teacher candidates (TCs) to become effective and caring teachers of diverse pupils, particularly in urban sites.…

  1. Becoming Animated When Teaching Physics, Crafts and Drama Together: A Multidisciplinary Course for Student-Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kallunki, Veera; Karppinen, Seija; Komulainen, Kauko

    2017-01-01

    This article examines a physics course for pre-service primary teachers in which physics, crafts and drama were taught together by connecting the standpoints of crafts and drama. The study was carried out by three university educators from these disciplines during an advanced optional course for student-teachers at the University of Helsinki in…

  2. Establishing Astronomy in the Curriculum at a Teacher Preparation College: Some Successes and Some Challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    French, L. M.; Borkovitz, D.

    1999-12-01

    At Wheelock College, a liberal arts college in Boston which prepares students for careers in elementary and early childhood teaching and social work, we are developing science and mathematics courses designed to prepare our students for their work with children while teaching them adult-level math and science. Our students arrive with varying skill levels and, often, a great deal of math and science anxiety. We must address the anxiety in order for the students to make progress as learners and, eventually, teachers of math and science. Two courses have been notable successes. A one-semester course entitled The Solar System has become a staple in the curriculum. Major topics covered include finding our way around the sky, the nature of light and color, the size and scale of the solar system, and the causes of the Earth’s seasons and the phases of the moon. Students report that it changes their minds about how science can be taught by modeling a style of teaching which is more interactive than the way they were taught. In the graduate school, astronomy is the focus for a course entitled Teaching and Learning. Co-taught by an education faculty member and an astronomer, the course immerses students in learning a new content area and asks them to consider their own learning process. Observations play an important role here, with students keeping journals of their own sky observations. We also describe two challenges. One is the establishment of more advanced courses; although an astrophysics class has been offered twice to overwhelmingly positive student reviews, it is not easy to “sell”. The other challenge is the establishment of an introductory level course in stars and galaxies for non-science majors. This work has been supported in part by a grant from the DUE of the National Science Foundation.

  3. Examining Mathematics Mentor Teachers' Practices in Professional Development Courses on Teaching Data Analysis: Implications for Mentor Teachers' Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuzle, Ana; Biehler, Rolf

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we report on the training practices of 12 mathematics mentor teachers who developed and implemented five short professional development courses after participating in a 5-month continuous professional development course "Competence-oriented teaching and learning of data analysis." The intention of this course was to deepen…

  4. Teacher Engagement in Core Components of an Effective, Early Childhood Professional Development Course: Links to Changes in Teacher-Child Interactions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williford, Amanda P.; Carter, Lauren M.; Maier, Michelle F.; Hamre, Bridget K.; Cash, Anne; Pianta, Robert C.; Downer, Jason T.

    2017-01-01

    This study built on prior research regarding the effectiveness of the National Center for Research in Early Childhood Education (NCRECE) course by exploring the individual course components. Core aspects of course engagement and performance were described and examined in relation to improvements in the observed quality of teacher-child…

  5. Reliability of Scores Obtained from Self-, Peer-, and Teacher-Assessments on Teaching Materials Prepared by Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nalbantoglu Yilmaz, Funda

    2017-01-01

    This study aims to determine the reliability of scores obtained from self-, peer-, and teacher-assessments in terms of teaching materials prepared by teacher candidates. The study group of this research constitutes 56 teacher candidates. In the scope of research, teacher candidates were asked to develop teaching material related to their study.…

  6. The Challenge to Prepare Teachers to Care in the Current Context: Perspectives of Teachers of Color

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rabin, Colette

    2010-01-01

    Teacher educators have a civic responsibility to prepare novice teachers to foster relationships across cultural, racial, and socioeconomic divides. Care ethics acknowledges this imperative and context's role in determining varied meanings of care. The voices of teachers of color can help us to understand the demands of care across differences.…

  7. Medical Students' Professional Development as Educators Revealed Through Reflections on Their Teaching Following a Students-as-Teachers Course.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Michelle H; Blatt, Benjamin C; Greenberg, Larrie W

    2017-01-01

    Phenomenon: Teaching is an important part of the tri-partite mission of every medical center. Although teaching often is given lower priority and recognition as opposed to patient care and/or research, this activity for many physicians in academic medicine ranks second to their patient care responsibilities. Medical teacher training has traditionally been aimed at faculty and residents through faculty development initiatives, continuing education for physicians at professional conferences, formalized degree or certificate programs in education, and residents as teachers programs. More recently medical schools have developed medical-students-as-teachers programs, often offered as 4th-year electives, to introduce learners to the theory of teaching and learning with appropriate application in the clinical setting. Data on learner outcomes and students' perceptions and experiences in these programs consist mostly of their satisfaction after completing such a program. In this article we explore 4th-year medical student trainees' experiences and emerging self-concepts as educators during a teaching elective. The purpose of this project was to explore students' reflections on their experiences in a 4th-year medical students-as-teachers course in their own words through their written self-assessment narratives. We used qualitative content analysis to examine 96 trainees' self-reported, written reflective narratives of how they translated their students-as-teachers course experience into application by applying newly learned educational theories, instructional strategies, and feedback skills while teaching novice peers physical diagnosis skills. Narratives revealed candid self-assessments and detailed descriptions of their experiences and what they valued most from the course. Content analysis revealed nine key themes: using teaching strategies for adult learning, preparing for class, modeling professionalism, incorporating clinical correlations, exceeding course

  8. Are You Ready to be a Mentor? Preparing Teachers for Mentoring Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ambrosetti, Angelina

    2014-01-01

    The use of mentoring has nowadays become a predominant practice for the professional placement component of pre-service teacher education programs. Research however has identified that being an effective teacher does not make you an effective mentor. The present research investigated the role of professional development in the preparation of…

  9. Preparing Teachers for Diversity: A Literature Review and Implications from Community-Based Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yuan, Huanshu

    2018-01-01

    This study reviewed current issues in preparing qualified teachers for increasing diverse student populations in the U.S. and in other multicultural and multiethnic countries. Based on the framework of community-based and multicultural teacher education, this literature review paper analyzed issues and problems existed in the current curriculum,…

  10. Recruiting & Preparing Diverse Urban Teachers: One Urban-Focused Teacher Education Program Breaks New Ground

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waddell, Jennifer; Ukpokodu, Omiunota N.

    2012-01-01

    This article explores a university's Urban Teacher Education Program (UTEP) and its success not just in recruiting, preparing, retaining, and graduating its students, but in likewise leading to employment and retention as teachers in urban schools. It focuses on critical aspects of the program, including recruitment of diverse candidates,…

  11. Teacher Educators' Reflections on Moments in a Secondary Teacher Education Course: Thinking Forward by Challenging Our Teaching Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freedman, Debra M.; Bullock, Patricia L.; Duque, Genevieve S.

    2005-01-01

    In this paper the authors explore two pedagogical moments that occurred within a diversity-focused secondary teacher education course, giving specific attention to Genevieve's and Debra's reflections as course instructors. We explore the ways in which instructors find themselves challenged, engaged and provoked to rethink taken for granted ideas…

  12. Preparing future teachers to anticipate student difficulties in physics in a graduate-level course in physics, pedagogy, and education research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thompson, John R.; Christensen, Warren M.; Wittmann, Michael C.

    2011-06-01

    We describe courses designed to help future teachers reflect on and discuss both physics content and student knowledge thereof. We use three kinds of activities: reading and discussing the literature, experiencing research-based curricular materials, and learning to use the basic research methods of physics education research. We present a general overview of the two courses we have designed as well as a framework for assessing student performance on physics content knowledge and one aspect of pedagogical content knowledge—knowledge of student ideas—about one particular content area: electric circuits. We find that the quality of future teachers’ responses, especially on questions dealing with knowledge of student ideas, can be successfully categorized and may be higher for those with a nonphysics background than those with a physics background.

  13. Building a Well-Prepared Languages Teaching Force: Turkish Teacher Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beykont, Zeynep F.

    2012-01-01

    Teacher quality is a central issue in the provision of languages. This paper reports on a study that examines teachers' perceptions of the obstacles to creating a well-prepared and wellsupported languages teaching force. In one-on-one interviews, teachers of Turkish in Australia identified the essential knowledge base, understanding, and skills of…

  14. Prospects for Black Teachers: Preparation, Certification, Employment. Information Analysis Products.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Witty, Elaine P.

    A survey of the literature on the issues and problems related to the preparation and survival of black public school teachers in the United States resulted in findings and recommendations in five areas. The first area considers literature on the underrepresentation of black teachers in public schools, studies on pupil/teacher ratios, expanded…

  15. English Education Program Assessment: Creating Standards and Guidelines to Advance English Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zancanella, Don; Alsup, Janet

    2010-01-01

    When someone uses the term "standards," one tends to assume the topic under discussion is K-12 education, but standards for teacher preparation have their own parallel history. In English teacher education, that history has two strands: the NCTE Guidelines for the Preparation of Teachers of English Language Arts, which predate the "standards…

  16. The Effect of a Listening Education Course on the Listening Behaviors of Prospective Turkish Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aytan, Talat

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to determine the effect of a listening education course on the listening behaviors of prospective Turkish teachers. The participants of the study are 45 prospective teachers who are studying at a state university in Istanbul and taking a listening education course. The study is an experimental study in the model of "one group…

  17. How Do Selected Novice Middle School Teachers from Various Certification Pathways Perceive the Effectiveness of Their Teacher Preparation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hesson, Nicole

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation study compared the three most common pathways of traditional preparation for novice middle level teachers (elementary, middle level, and secondary) and attempted to answer the central question of which group felt best prepared for middle level teaching. Selected novice teachers from each of the three pathways were interviewed and…

  18. Preparation of Teachers for Basic Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Egbert, Robert L.; And Others

    These papers, presented at the 1981 World Assembly of the International Council of Education for Teaching, describe the methods and status of teacher education programs in the United States, Australia, Ireland, and Malaysia. The first paper, "The Preparation of Educational Personnel for Basic Education," by Robert L. Egbert, introduces the…

  19. Technology and Teacher Preparation, 1999-2000.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lane, Sabrina, Ed.

    2000-01-01

    This document contains the fall 1999, fall 2000, and winter 2000 issues of "Technology and Teacher Preparation." The fall 1999 issue describes NCREL and its Higher Education Initiative; contains a faculty profile focusing on engaging science educators with technology; and describes tenth-grade students' efforts to measure the Coon River…

  20. The impact of asynchronous online course design for professional development on science-teacher self-efficacy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Long, Caryn L. Smith

    This dissertation examines how various designs of asynchronous online courses for teacher professional development may impact science-teacher self-efficacy. Mayer's studies, providing the cognitive theory of multimedia learning, targeted designs of asynchronous online learning and the point where contributions of written, auditory, and visual information on these sites could cause cognitive overload (Mayer, 2005). With increasing usage of online resources for educators to gain teaching credits, understanding how to construct these professional development offerings is critical. Teacher self-efficacy can affect how well information from these courses relays to students in their classroom. This research explored the connection between online asynchronous professional development design and teacher self-efficacy through analysis of a physics-based course in three distinct course-design offerings, while collecting content-acquisition data and self-efficacy effects before and after participation. Results from this research showed teacher self-efficacy had improved in all online treatments which included a text-only, text and audio and text, audio and animation version of the same physics content. Content knowledge was most effected by the text-only and text and audio treatments with significan growth occurring in the remember, apply, and analyze levels of bloom's taxonomy. Due to the small number of participants, it cannot be said that these results are conclusive.

  1. Extending Transfer of Learning Theory to Transformative Learning Theory: A Model for Promoting Teacher Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Sandra; Lowery-Moore, Hollis; Farrow, Vicky

    2008-01-01

    This article describes collaborative efforts to frame university teacher preparation program activities within transfer of learning and transformative learning theories to promote teacher leadership. Specifically, we describe (a) a community sponsored, public school, campus-based experience during an introductory teacher preparation course; (b) a…

  2. Effects of a Multicultural Perspectives Course on Teacher Candidates' Intercultural Competence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xu, Yaoying; Hao, Chenfang; Huennekens, Mary Ellen

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the intercultural competence of pre-service special education teacher candidates through the contents of a graduate-level multicultural perspectives course. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a graduate-level multicultural perspectives course to examine the intercultural competence of…

  3. Teacher Education Matters: A Study of Middle School Mathematics Teacher Preparation in Six Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmidt, William H.; Blomeke, Sigrid; Tatto, Maria Teresa

    2011-01-01

    Based on a major international teacher education research project--the Mathematics Teaching in the 21st Century Study (MT21)--this book investigates the pre-service preparation of middle school mathematics teachers in the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Bulgaria, and Mexico. The study was funded by the National Science Foundation and…

  4. Preparing Globally Competent Teachers: A New Imperative for Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhao, Yong

    2010-01-01

    Globalization is one of the most powerful forces that will shape the future world in which our children will live. How to prepare our children to live successfully in this world has become a challenging question for education. This article discusses the challenges globalization presents to education and the implications for teacher education.

  5. Promoting Reflection in Teacher Preparation Programs: A Multilevel Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Etscheidt, Susan; Curran, Christina M.; Sawyer, Candace M.

    2012-01-01

    Teacher reflection has been promoted as a necessary tool for educators to sustain responsive instructional practices. A variety of approaches for integrating inquiry into teaching and reflection in practice emerged from extensive and intensive efforts to reform teacher preparation programs. Based on those conceptualizations, a three-level model of…

  6. Visual Literacy (VL) in Teacher Preparation: Measurement to Direction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Farrell, Teresa A.

    2015-01-01

    An abridgment of the dissertation "Measuring Visual Literacy Ability in Graduate Level Pre-Service Teachers" by Teresa A. Farrell, this quantitative descriptive study was designed to establish a baseline of VL ability within this population using a national pool of graduate level students enrolled in teacher preparation programs.…

  7. Colorism as a Salient Space for Understanding in Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGee, Ebony O.; Alvarez, Adam; Milner, H. Richard

    2016-01-01

    In this article, we posit the salience of colorism as an important aspect of race in the knowledge construction and preparation of teachers. Although many more teacher education programs across the United States have begun to infuse aspects of race into their curricula, there is sparse literature about the role of colorism in teacher preparation…

  8. Preparing Ethical Chemists through a Second-Year Seminar Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singiser, Richard H.; Clower, Caroline E.; Burnett, Stephen C.

    2012-01-01

    Ethics is an important part of science and is often omitted from a packed undergraduate curriculum. This article describes a second-year seminar course developed for chemistry majors that focuses on career preparation and the improvement of essential student skills, such as communication skills and preparation for independent research. The central…

  9. Exploring Languages and Cultures--An Exploratory Foreign Language Course. A Guide for Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milwaukee Public Schools, WI. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

    A working guide for teachers in planning and teaching an exploratory course in foreign language and culture presents the basic course structure for nine weeks. Instructional materials are not provided. Course objectives include: (1) exploration of foreign languages and cultures; (2) sensitization to value systems and customs of one's own and other…

  10. Elective Drama Course in Mathematics Education: An Assessment of Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sagirli, Meryem Özturan

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate a newly introduced elective course "Drama in Mathematics Education" into mathematics education curriculum from the viewpoints of pre-service mathematics teachers. A case study was employed in the study. The study group consisted of 37 pre-service mathematics teachers who were enrolled in a Turkish state…

  11. Reframing Research on Methods Courses to Inform Mathematics Teacher Educators' Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kastberg, Signe E.; Tyminski, Andrew M.; Sanchez, Wendy B.

    2017-01-01

    Calls have been made for the creation of a shared knowledge base in mathematics teacher education with the power to inform the design of scholarly inquiry and mathematics teacher educators' (MTEs) scholarly practices. Focusing on mathematics methods courses, we summarize and contribute to literature documenting activities MTEs use in mathematics…

  12. How Do Selected Novice Middle School Teachers from Various Certification Pathways Perceive the Effectiveness of Their Teacher Preparation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hesson, Nicole

    2016-01-01

    This study compared the three most common pathways of traditional preparation for novice middle level teachers (elementary, middle level, and secondary) and attempted to answer the central question of which group felt best prepared for middle level teaching. Selected novice teachers from each of the three pathways were interviewed and asked to…

  13. What is the impact of commercial test preparation courses on medical examination performance?

    PubMed

    McGaghie, William C; Downing, Steven M; Kubilius, Ramune

    2004-01-01

    Commercial test preparation courses are part of the fabric of U.S. medical education. They are also big business with 2,000 sales for 1 firm listed at nearly $250 million. This article systematically reviews and evaluates research published in peer-reviewed journals and in the "grey literature" that addresses the impact of commercial test preparation courses on standardized, undergraduate medical examinations. Thirteen computerized English language databases were searched using 29 search terms and search concepts from their onset to October 1, 2002. Also manually searched was medical education conference proceedings and publications after the end date; and medical education journal editors were contacted about articles accepted for publication, but not yet in print, that were deemed pertinent to this review. Studies that met three criteria were selected: (a) a commercial test preparation course or service was an educational intervention, (b) the outcome variable was one of several standardized medical examinations, and (c) results are published in a peer-reviewed journal or another outlet that insures scholarly scrutiny. The criteria were applied and data extracted by consensus of 2 reviewers. The search identified 11 empirical studies, of which 10 (8 journal articles, 2 unpublished reports) are included in this review. Qualitative data synthesis and tabular presentation of research methods and outcomes are used. The articles and unpublished reports reveal that current research lacks control and rigor; the incremental validity of the commercial courses on medical examination performance, if any, is extremely small; and evidence in support of the courses is weak or nonexistent; almost no details are given about the form and conduct of the commercial test preparation courses; studies are confined to courses in preparation for the Medical College Admission Test, the former National Board of Medical Examiners Part 1, and the United States Medical Licensing Examination

  14. Special Education Teacher Quality and Preparation: Exposing Foundations, Constructing a New Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brownell, Mary T.; Sindelar, Paul T.; Kiely, Mary Theresa; Danielson, Louis C.

    2010-01-01

    The authors trace changes in conceptions of special education teacher quality and preparation in response to developments in special education research, policy, and practice. This developmental arc is a backdrop for understanding contemporary special education practice and charting future directions for preparing special education teachers.…

  15. Improving Teacher Talk through a Task-Based Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moser, Jason; Harris, Justin; Carle, John

    2012-01-01

    This article reports on a teacher-talk training course for Japanese primary school teachers, who are preparing to teach "communicative English" for the first time. The article argues that teacher-talk training is important for communicative classes with young students because most of the input and interaction is by default teacher…

  16. [The University of California Cooperative Teacher Preparation Project (UCCTPP)].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California Univ., Berkeley. School of Education.

    The University of California Cooperative Teacher Preparation Project (UCCTPP) began in 1971 as an effort to improve the quality and effectiveness of teacher education programs. UCCTPP is currently implemented through the cooperative efforts of the School of Education at the University of California at Berkeley and the Mount Diablo and Vallejo…

  17. Increasing Accountability for Teacher Preparation Programs. Challenge to Lead

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Jenny, Comp.

    2006-01-01

    Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) states face new challenges as they adapt to the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This report reviews SREB states' progress in strengthening their accountability systems to ensure that their teacher preparation programs are producing quality teachers. This report identifies what…

  18. Preparing Preservice Teachers to Address Bullying through Cartoon Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rule, Audrey C.; Logan, Stephanie R.; Kohler, Frank W.

    2013-01-01

    Students who qualify for special education services are at risk for being bullied because of their cognitive, emotional, behavioral, or physical differences. Currently, teachers are not effective enough in reducing bullying; better preservice teacher preparation in this area may help to alleviate the problem. The current study explored the effects…

  19. Critical Reflection by Teacher Candidates on Cases Based in their Experience: Teacher Education for Inclusive Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hutchinson, Nancy L.

    2004-01-01

    Recent changes in education, including inclusion of students with disabilities, promise to heighten the complexity of teaching. Preparing reflective teachers may help to deal with these increasing demands. This paper reports analysis of critical reflection and two other features in cases authored by teacher candidates and submitted in a course on…

  20. Surgical Procedures. Second Edition. Teacher Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Beverly; And Others

    This teacher's guide contains 13 units of instruction for a course that will prepare students with the entry-level competencies needed by a surgical technologist. The course covers the following topics: introduction to surgical procedures; diagnostic procedures; general surgery; gastrointestinal surgery; obstetrics and gynecological surgery;…