Differences between British and U.S. economic education with respect to both the rigor of the precollege curriculum and the training of teachers are discussed. The principal difference is that the typical American secondary economics teacher is a social studies teacher, whereas his or her British counterpart is a trained economist. (RM)

Drawing on the examples of a successful classroom teacher who does "what works" and a former student disenchanted with the behavior modification approach to teaching exceptional children, the author encourages teacher instruction in critical thinking and a wide range of teaching theories and methodologies. (JBM)

Explains the rationale and goals for a physical science course for elementary education majors. Components include: presentation of a science lesson from one of the elementary science programs; hands-on experience with lessons taught by other students; and incorporation of current science-technology-society problems into discussions. Results from…

To learn what visual arts education training early childhood and elementary teachers are receiving, questionnaires were mailed to 50 state departments of education. Results showed that children below the age of six are being taught by teachers with little training in the visual arts. Teacher education is needed. (RM)

Reasons are given for including computer programming in an elementary mathematics methods course. A model for a teacher training course is described in general and applied to lessons in programming. (DT)

If students are to think historically, then teachers must think historically. One place where future history teachers might gain such cognitive practice is in history courses designed to focus on the ideas and methods of historians. A study focused on teaching future history teachers how to think about history. A course, "Philosophy and…

This paper examines how three preservice teachers, who previously worked in science-related fields, confronted barriers in the process of becoming science teachers. Many of the barriers these teachers faced were similar to the barriers that more traditional teacher education candidates faced, but they also faced some barriers that were less common…

Issues-centered curriculum is an anomaly within the social studies classroom, most often overshadowed by the dominant framework that includes teacher-centered, textbook-driven, subject-focused lessons. An instructor of social studies methods chose to break with the content-dominant tradition and introduce issues-centered social studies to the…

This paper addresses three questions: (1) What key citizenship characteristics are essential for today's highly diverse, complex classrooms? (2) What should be the content of a course that would teach these traits? and (3) What pedagogical strategies could be employed to enhance the delivery of that content and to measure for the desired results?…

This paper summarizes a 4-month-long preparation process to implement an innovative English-as-a-Second-Language workplace program (ESLWP) at a large university with a sizable non-English speaking workforce in the United States. There is also a proposed plan of action for implementing a program guided by constructivist views of teaching and…

This paper reports findings in a study of an e-mail discussion activity in an undergraduate methods course. Students were asked to contribute an e-mail message to the class discussion at least once every two weeks; they could write on any topic suggested by their field experiences or related class discussions and readings. Critical interpretative…

Describes an activity used in the science methods class at the University of Wisconsin to bring preservice elementary teachers into appropriate contact with children and to give them the opportunity to try out a variety of materials and activities from the newer elementary science curricula. (JR)