In a paper published in "The Language Learning Journal" in 2005, Eric Hawkins describes his vision of language education as an apprenticeship comprising two stages. In stage one (ages 5-14), the purpose is "educational" and the focus is on language awareness; in stage two (14-19), the purpose is "instrumental" and…

As viewed from two sides such as teacher and student, in this article, we explore the human-based teaching reform for the college professional course of materials Science and Engineering, point out the qualities and conditions that professional teacher should possess in the process of human-based teaching reform of professional course and the…

The study of preservice elementary teachers' knowledge of fractions is important because fractions are notoriously difficult to learn and teach. Unfortunately, studies of preservice teachers' fraction knowledge are limited and have focused primarily on division. The present study included all four operations to provide a more comprehensive…

This paper reports case study research into the knowledge and understanding of chemistry for six secondary science student teachers. It combines innovative student-generated computer animations, using "ChemSense" software, with interviews to probe understanding of four common chemical processes used in the secondary school curriculum. Findings…

This paper starts from the premise that teachers' discourse communities influence how ideas for reform are implemented. In order to understand some of the discourse surrounding the reforms proposed by GAISE, an online focus group activity was conducted. The focus group consisted of pre-service and practicing teachers responsible for teaching…

In this article, the authors begin with a look back at the emergence of English education in the social and political context of the United States as a nation, situating the development of the research-practice divide narrative in debates concerning the nature and purpose of English as secondary-school subject in changing times. The authors turn…

This paper considers both how the mandatory introduction of student evaluation of teaching surveys (SETs) fits into the social and political context of tertiary education in Japan, and the assumptions about teaching underlying SETs. Through interviews with English teachers, a technical-rational perspective whereby teaching is a profession only to…

A number of terms have been used to describe knowledge needed for teaching, one of which is subject knowledge. How knowledge for teaching is conceptualized in teacher education prioritizes some knowledge bases over other knowledge bases. Further, knowledge prioritized by student teachers is influenced by socialization prior to and during an…

The present study aims to explore the secondary teachers' understanding and reasoning about the concepts of limit and continuity. The findings suggest that teachers have not developed a rich relational understanding of these notions. They exhibited disturbing gaps in their conceptualizations of limit and continuity. [For complete proceedings, see…

This study examined the classroom practice and beliefs of two novice teachers, Anne and Rachel, during the first year of their involvement in Project PRIME, a district-wide development program. Using accounts of practice (Simon & Tzur, 1999), the professional developer interviewed and observed the two novice teachers throughout the school year…

This study investigated 407 in-service elementary teachers' level of mathematical content knowledge, attitude toward mathematics, beliefs about effective instruction, use of reform-orientated instruction and modeled the relationship among these variables. Upper elementary teachers (grades 3-5) were found to have greater content knowledge and more…

This paper examines and tests the assumptions that a curriculum which adequately portrays instructional strategies (related to teaching the nature of science, science curricular content, and teachers' views of the nature of science) will increase students' understanding of the nature of science. This study was conducted over a 16-week period. A…

This paper provides a summary and a critique of the empirical literature on elementary teachers' mathematical knowledge. The empirical evidence addresses four major issues surrounding teachers' mathematical knowledge: 1) What is the nature of teachers' content knowledge, particularly with regard to the domain of number? 2) How does teachers'…

Investigates 49 preservice elementary teachers' conceptions of what causes the seasons using both a written procedure and a procedure that used models with verbal explanations. Results suggest that preservice elementary teachers are likely to show a high frequency of alternative conceptions of what causes the seasons and these conceptions are not…

A representational view of language assumes that words represent thought. Also necessary is a presentational approach, in which language users are seen as participants in wider social systems and words are statements of connection. An integrated approach uses both views to understand teachers and teaching in the social context. (SK)