Findings are reported from two descriptive studies of preservice teacher education students' conceptual change in response to reading methods instruction. The first study, involving 14 preservice teachers, focused on how students applied what was taught in the reading methods course; the second study (14 participants) examined students' conceptual change during instruction. Both studies employed observations and interviews. Results of the first study indicated that the preservice teachers gradually tended to change their thinking about reading instruction and that teaching a real student during the field practicum contributed to this change by encouraging a restructuring of cognitive information presented in the methods course. Findings of the second study, focusing on whether preservice teachers change their cognitive conceptions and the characteristics of the changes, indicated that students apply methods course information in stages and that there are wide differences in the way they organize that information. A discussion is presented on implications for future studies of the process and structure of methods courses, and on ways in which they may be made more effective. (Author/JD)