Clinical interviews with eight preservice elementary teachers elicited their understanding of pest-related benchmarks. Those with out-of-school experience were better able to articulate their understanding. Many were unable to make connections between scientific, societal and technological concepts. (Contains 39 references.) (SK)

Becoming a competent civic educator--one who can inspire and prepare students for informed, responsible, and humane participation in civic and political life--requires ongoing study of the content, pedagogy, and resources of civic education. Many elementary, middle, and high school teachers (and their students) would benefit from effective…

Good teachers of critical thinking ask hard questions of students; however, they must also ask hard questions of themselves to be the best possible teacher and provide the best learning environment. In this article, two veteran educators present reflective questions that teachers might ask themselves as they prepare and implement courses. These…

In this article, the author argues that using test scores as the sole indicator of students' and teachers' knowledge and skills is harming students and driving the best teachers from the profession. Research by the Abell Foundation indicates that clear links could be found between teachers' verbal and cognitive abilities and the achievement of…

The relationship between knowledge and pedagogy is an important one and needs further exploration. Does a degree in archaeology provide a basis for teaching contemporary history? Is the high-flying physicist able to teach adequately the biology of a general science course? Can a primary teacher successfully work across the whole of the primary…

Meaningful faculty professional development has been recognized through decades of research as an important component in effective classroom instruction. Too often, however, faculty development activities are offered by well-meaning administrators with little or no attention to faculty assessments of their own levels of competence. This study of…

The Strategy Toolbox is a concrete model developed to increase the academic achievement of students through increased teacher knowledge and expertise in teaching strategies. It is intended for implementation by individual teachers who share their ideas, classroom applications, and reflections in a group setting as an overall strategy for school…

The paper reports on an initiative to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for a sustainable environment. The initiative involved the training of pre-service teachers to not only be aware of, or know about environmental problems and want to act for the environment, but also to be able to act for the environment. Small group community…

Argues that the question of knowledge must be reconceptualized in order for sociology to make its potential contribution to current debates about the curriculum. Reviews dominant assumptions underlying contemporary curriculum policy. Draws on recent research in the sociology of science to develop a social realist approach to knowledge. Provides…

This paper revisits the prevalent concept of pedagogical content knowledge and examines how (and when) each of its components works with/on/against the other in the production of meaning and experience in the educative process. Its purpose is not simply to suggest that content and pedagogy need to come together to provide for powerful…

In this paper, we explore Productive Pedagogy (PP) as a framework for enhancing teacher education. Reporting results from a study involving student teachers' application of the four principles of PP during an internship, we consider whether PP brings a firmer knowledge base to their work. Based on our analysis of the data, we argue for a more…

The scholarship of teaching involves an understanding and application of the latest discoveries in the field of instructional excellence. This article explores how lay volunteers in churches and synagogues can implement personal research within the scholarship of teaching to improve their teaching. Two sides of the scholarship of teaching are…

This paper reports on an international experience designed, within a sociocultural frame, for teacher education students to examine theoretical knowledge and make visible local knowledge on diversity issues, and the interrelatedness and complexity of language, literacy and culture and its impact on educational practices. It examines the context of…

This article explores middle school teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching and the relationship between such knowledge and teachers' subject matter preparation, certification type, teaching experience, and their students' poverty status. The author administered multiple-choice measures to a nationally representative sample of teachers and…

Instructors of statistics who teach non-statistics majors possess varied academic backgrounds, and hence it is reasonable to expect variability in their content knowledge, and pedagogical approach. The aim of this study was to determine the specific course(s) that contributed mostly to instructors' understanding of statistics. Courses reported…