Section archive - Instruction in Teacher Training

The book Graphic texts - Literacy enhancing tools in early childhood presents the potential contribution of non-verbal graphic texts to the development of children's literacy skills in the broad sense. The book deals with five types of graphic texts: drawings, photographs, icons, maps and calendars. Each one of these is described in terms of its characteristic features and contexts of use, followed by a review of current findings concerning the development of children's comprehension and production of the text. Finally, a comprehensive account of the possible contributions of each text to children's cognitive and social development is provided, complemented by a multitude of practical examples of relevant educational activities, children's productions and research ideas.

This article presents a systematic review of the literature between 2001 and 2010 regarding the effectiveness of Supplemental instruction (SI). The findings of the review are consistent with claims validated by the U.S. Department of Education in the 1990s that participation in SI is correlated with higher mean grades, lower failure and withdrawal rates, and higher retention and graduation rates.

This article investigates primary school teachers’ reflections on addressing the topic of same-sex families and relationships in their classrooms. Specifically, the authors examine teachers’ potential use of texts, such as picture storybooks, which introduce representations of same-sex relationships and desire. Attention is drawn to the regulatory surveillance of the parental gaze and the silencing and marginalization of sexual identity issues. The authors are interested to illuminate the ways in which the micro politics of teaching about queer families and relationships are inextricably linked to broader macro processes governing the institutionalizing influences of heteronormativity, heterosexism and homonegativity.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the researcher's attempt to address the research/practice divide from the position of a teacher educator. The findings revealed that although the university at which this research was conducted offered students practicum placements throughout their time in the teacher education program, the preservice teachers had difficulty making connections between information learned in university classrooms and experiences in area elementary schools. To address the disconnect between methods coursework and the preservice teachers' practicum placements, the author intentionally planned three class field trips to elementary school. This article has implications for both teacher education programs and for the individual methods course instructor.