Provides an overview of key research findings that confirm that changes in teacher practices and external support for teaching and learning affect student achievement. Analyzes individual research-based classroom practices that affect student achievement and support a systemic, holistic approach: clear academic focus and frequent assessments,…

In this paper we discuss the development and implementation of a questionnaire that measures preparedness to teach secondary school science with information and communication technologies (ICT). The questionnaire was designed for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of instruction in a science education unit in a Graduate Diploma teacher…

Methods courses in teacher education programs have made a transition in the last years toward field-based experiences as part of the preparation for teaching science in the elementary school. However, little conclusive evidence exists as to any desirable influence field experiences are having on science teaching attitudes and learning. The purpose…

Understanding how people learn is the foundation of informed teaching, yet it is difficult for teachers to articulate and effectively use. This study investigated how two preservice teachers' conceptions of learning theories transferred to their decisionmaking during student teaching. This paired-sample case study examined Research-Based Framework…

This paper outlines the nexus between mathematics content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge in developing pedagogical content knowledge. Increasing expectations about what students should know and be able to do, breakthroughs in research on how children learn, and the increasing diversity of the student population have put significant pressure…

The past eight years have seen an unprecedented level of education policy activity focused on issues of teacher quality. Policies have been developed at federal, state, and institutional levels, and include increased institutional reporting of teacher candidates' test scores, the mandate for Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) in the No Child Left…

The purpose of this case study was to document the journey of three novice career change science inductees as they became middle-level science teachers in urban low socioeconomic status (SES) schools and included post-internship employment status data on all nine science teachers who completed the alternative certification program, up to the time…

Recent years have seen a growth not only in biological knowledge but also, and more significantly for teacher education, in the types of knowledge manifested in biology. No longer, therefore, is it adequate for teachers to retain a Mertonian or a Popperian conception of science. Today's teachers of science need also to be able to help their…

In the spring of 1995 Northern Arizona University initiated a pilot program for a new content emphasis for elementary education majors. This new emphasis, "Diversity in Educational Contexts," is designed to prepare teachers to instruct the diverse children they will encounter in their public and private classrooms. The new program…

This publication focuses on the knowledge base of middle school teacher preparation emphasizing organizing principles that define an excellent middle grades teacher education program. It is designed to complement the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and…

This report presents findings of a Canadian national study of 1,492 regular classroom teachers, administrators, resource teachers, special class teachers, and university students on the inclusion of students with disabilities into general education classrooms. Three data sources were used in the research: an Educator Opinion Questionnaire,…

A job analysis was conducted to define the content domain in which newly licensed (certified) biology teachers must be knowledgeable in order to perform their jobs competently. Results of the job analysis will be used to develop test specifications for the Subject Assessment in Biology of the Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning…

This brochure presents the teacher education standards adopted by Alaska's State Board of Education. The standards are as follows: (1) a teacher can describe the teacher's philosophy of education and demonstrate its relationship to the teacher's practice; (2) a teacher understands how students learn and develop and applies that knowledge in the…

The traditional differences in philosophy and approaches to teaching and learning between colleges of education and sciences have been repeatedly cited as one of the major obstacles in providing appropriate teacher training programs. In an effort to alleviate this problem, Wright State University (Ohio) has fostered a unique environment through a…

While more research needs to be done in the area of adolescent literacy, there is growing agreement about some of the characteristics successful literacy intervention programs share. The purpose of this brief is to provide information to help policymakers, educators, parents, and others concerned with adolescent literacy make informed decisions…