Examines the abilities of adult and youth naturalists to promote cognitive and affective changes in forest recreationists. Interpreters at campfire talks and trail hikes were successful in accomplishing stated objectives. Youth naturalists were as effective as adults on several, but not all, performance measures. Contains 21 references. (PVD)

Interpretive analysis of preservice teachers' writings and discussions during an elementary-science methods course identified the teachers' positivist views of knowledge, learning, and teaching as prominent tools for guiding understanding of and reaction to ideas of teaching science to diverse student populations. Discusses the impact on teachers'…

Assessed the health-related physical-fitness knowledge of preservice and inservice physical education teachers and graduate students in physical education and exercise physiology. Survey results indicated that exercise-physiology graduate students surpassed all others in knowledge. Though preservice teachers had relatively poor knowledge levels,…

Examines the effects of using concept-mapping activities in a physical science class for elementary science teachers on physical science achievement, self-efficacy, and anxiety toward learning and teaching physical science. Discusses implications for teacher education. Contains 54 references. (WRM)

Investigated Japanese beginning teachers' perceptions of their initial teacher preparation and induction. Surveys indicated that teachers gave low ratings to their initial preparation and initial development of knowledge and skills. They believed they gained skills through their work as teachers. First year teachers' perceptions of knowledge,…

Considers teacher attributes necessary for middle school choral directors to be successful: (1) personal qualities; (2) professional understandings; and (3) technical competence. Refers to questionnaire responses given by 11 successful middle school choral teachers and offers personal insights. Contends that personal and professional growth is…

The revision of the University of Maryland Special Education Department 5-year undergraduate teacher preparation program is described. A recent program graduate's reflections on her first year of teaching illuminate key issues addressed in revising the program to focus on multicategorical special education teacher preparation across a more refined…

Examined preservice teachers' concerns about transforming their academic knowledge into teaching activities (pedagogical content concerns). Prospective chemistry teachers individually prepared high school chemistry lessons. During group meetings, they presented and discussed the lesson plans. Data from interviews during individual and group…

Considers the missing elements of race, class, gender, and power relations in the knowledge base for teacher education, suggesting a knowledge base for the missing ideas, especially in the area of questioning the effects of social, cultural, and historical movements and power relationships. The concept of social mooring is applied to make…

Compared external expectations about preschool teachers and their role with the way teachers think about their own practice. Responses suggest that it is possible to establish an external, decontextualized framework that sets out the teacher's role and reflects current policy, research, or political and cultural agendas, but that it is important…

Investigated types of knowledge and beliefs elementary teachers needed to teach a civics/citizenship education unit. Teachers implemented a special unit on childrens' needs, rights, and responsibilities. Data from videotaped lessons and teacher interviews found seven themes, four of which were relevant: knowledge of content and resources,…

An Alberta teacher education program built around "teacher knowledge" begins with what preservice teachers already know rather than programmed knowledge and skills. Learning to teach becomes a process of expressing one's knowledge in practice, reflecting on that practice using personal and theoretical resources, and then trying out…

Outlines the fundamental changes in initial teacher education in England and Wales in recent years, with particular reference to the Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE). Finds that a large proportion of secondary science teacher trainees had little or no knowledge of or experience with General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ)…

Describes prospective teachers' conceptions of what one needs to know to be a chemistry teacher at the German gymnasium, and compares their conceptions with those emphasized by the university they attend. Hypothesizes that preservice teachers' conceptions suggest a nested model of knowledge needed for chemistry teaching. (Contains 30 references.)…

Describes a case study of one teacher's interpretation of "inquiry science teaching" in her fourth grade classroom. Finds that the collaborative development of inquiry teaching that worked for this instructor was a delicate process of the negotiation of meanings for inquiry. (Contains 20 references.) (WRM)