Section archive - Teacher Education Programs

This study examined whether game elements could be used along with Problem Based Learning (PBL) in a digital learning environment to improve student writing. Results from this study included statistically significant decreases in teacher time spent answering procedural and directional questions, increased voluntary student writing, and improved standardized achievement scores on writing tasks.

As collaborative instruction for students with disabilities becomes a prominent practice, teacher educators must examine prospective educators' views on these practices. Researchers analyzed reflective journal entries of 41 masters-level teacher certification students in a class on collaboration. Several themes emerged through content analysis including self-evaluation of skills and general communication skills of teams. Results indicate issues in collaboration and areas of concern among preservice and certification students. Further, teacher educators may use the analysis process to provide a concentrated focus on areas of concern to students. As many programs require prospective teachers to journal about their teaching experiences, the categories used in the analysis may provide a basis for examining those journal entries in greater depth.

The article explores the concept of coherence. The authors investigate the relationship between students' perceptions of coherence and a number of structural features of teacher education programs to help develop a stronger definition of one important dimension of coherence—the relationship between fieldwork and coursework,

This paper provides the first national information specifically on (a) the national demand- supply, and shortage of first-time special education teachers (SETs) in comparison to general education teachers (GETs) as a function of the amount of teacher preparation (i.e., extensive, some, or none), and (b) trends from 1987-88 to 1999-2000 in the national supply of entering and continuing teachers.