Teachers must have accurate, up-to-date knowledge about biodiversity in order to help prepare world citizens to cope with the problems of decreasing variability on our planet. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a reliable, valid test of teacher knowledge about biodiversity; (2) administer this test to K-12 teachers to determine…

This paper describes a model for utilizing national science reform initiatives in an elementary science methods course. By focusing particularly on Project 2061 benchmarks, the reform movement initiated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), teacher candidates were able to successfully analyze, integrate, and utilize…

This case study explores the ways in which a beginning elementary classroom teacher gains a foothold in teaching science. The analysis includes episodes from the teacher's first three years of teaching while participating in an educational research project that investigated an inquiry-based approach to teacher professional development. The…

The conference proceedings volume for PME-NA-XIX contains a total of 72 reports: 34 research reports; 20 short oral reports; 11 poster session reports; and 7 discussion group reports. Only the research reports are full reports; the others are generally one-page abstracts. The full reports include: (1) "Equity, Teaching Practices, and Reform:…

The purpose of the study presented in this document is to further knowledge about student teacher development contexts during field experiences. The aim is to understand the role of the mentor teacher, the classroom structure and processes, and student teacher content knowledge in the development of a mathematics teaching repertoire. This research…

Recent emphasis on raising standards has attracted Americans' attention to factors that improve student learning. An examination of the relationship between teacher knowledge and student performance is offered in this report. The text summarizes what research suggests about various kinds of teacher education, the professional development teachers…

When asked to give a talk at a mathematics teacher conference that focused on research in mathematics education, Ruhama Even viewed the invitation as an opportunity to address the meta-question: what can teachers learn from research in mathematics education? The reason for her view was her way of feeling, as a researcher and teacher educator, that…

This report looks at how three secondary English teachers responded to the curriculum materials they encountered as new teachers. The authors were particularly interested in knowing how the materials helped the new teachers learn about teaching language arts. To this end, the authors explored the teachers' perception and use of two sets of…

This research forum addresses the question: what is the nature of the mathematical knowledge that is needed for secondary teaching? Six international contributors: (1) Australia (Kaye Stacey); (2) Brazil (Marcelo Borba); (3) Israel (Ruhama Even); (4) Norway (Bodil Kleve and Barbara Jaworski); (5) Taiwan (Fou-Lai Lin); and (6) USA (Helen Doerr)…

This article addresses the question: "What are the implications for the preparation of prospective elementary teachers of 'early algebra' in the elementary grades curriculum?" Part of the answer involves language aspects of algebra: in particular, how a change in pre-service teachers' attitudes to algebra, from instrumental to relational, is…

The paper is based upon a case-study of mentoring in teacher education in Norway. It describes the practice of the cooperating teacher and how mentoring in the practice-field contributes to student teachers learning. The main focus is how student teachers develop pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics through reflections with the mentor…

National Board Certification is a voluntary process established by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) to measure what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. Certification is achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes between one and three years to complete. As of November 2004,…

This document offers a guide to enhance the quality of Michigan social studies teaching. The document draws on two sources, "A Vision of Powerful Teaching and Learning in the Social Studies" (National Council for the Social Studies) and "A Guide to Authentic Instruction and Assessment: Vision, Standards and Scoring" (Newmann,…

The goal of this study was to understand how preservice biology teachers progress in an open-inquiry research program on the ecological physiology of a tree frog. The project involved students (N=10) in a spring semester and summer workshop. Multiple data sources were established including classroom discussion, group meetings, weekly reflection…

This paper is a narrative account of a critical classroom episode in the life of a beginning secondary science teacher. Emphasis is placed on a beginning science teacher's prior knowledge of effective science instruction and is used to guide on-going classroom practices to facilitate student learning. The story is created from classroom…