This study investigated the attitudes, perceptions, and motivations of males entering elementary teaching. Interviews with 11 male elementary teachers (student teachers and recent graduates) provided information on career choice, conflicting reactions to teaching profession choice, the male teacher as role model, the conflict of being a nurturing…

To study gender and cohort differences, surveys of male and female preservice elementary and preschool teacher education majors (N=326) examined vocational choice, factors influencing their decision, comfort with that decision, and professional aspirations. Results indicated that males and females were similar in their reasons for selecting…

Preservice teachers were led in a subtly biased class discussion on sex bias, then asked to rate the discussion's gender equity. Students also discussed videos about equity, calculated class opinions about biased situations, and heard lectures. Most students considered the class discussion equitable. The intervention increased their awareness of…

Critical/feminist pedagogy provides a framework for teacher education in a democratic society because it facilitates the development of pedagogical relations that support the acquisition of the skills of democratic participation. The paper discusses these themes and suggests a framework for implementing teacher education supportive of the…

Reports a study of how instructors in methods classes in mathematics, science, and technology addressed issues of gender equity. A national survey of teacher educators examined their attitudes toward, participation in, and satisfaction with their teaching about gender equity. Results indicated that the teacher educators were interested but…

Moral reasoning is part of and necessary for everyday life, and it is important in teacher education programs. Teacher educators must consider moral issues and engage in moral reasoning with their students in all areas of education. This paper provides examples of how some teacher educators have incorporated such issues into actual and proposed…

Moral educators understand the moral and ethical complexities of their role, possess expertise in interpreting their behavior and discerning its influence on students, and act ethically within the context of professional responsibility. Teacher education programs must concentrate on addressing ethics. The case study method can be effective in…

Good teachers must regularly engage in ethical reflection. The rules-and-principles approach for developing educators' ethical judgment may be less effective than a virtue-centered approach, which is more in keeping with teachers' essential commitments. Virtue-based case analysis helps teachers experience vicariously what it means to be ethically…

Discusses professional ethics in teacher education, noting challenges for teacher educators (particularly those in early childhood education). Chronicles the development of the National Association for the Education of Young Children Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment, and describes the Early Childhood Teacher Education Ethics…

One restructured teacher education program emphasized analysis and reflection on student, classroom, and community issues to develop students' moral decision making and critical reflection. Program graduates who discussed their beliefs and attitudes emphasized that their numerous, diverse clinical experiences, coursework, professors' influence,…

Describes participants' experiences in collaboratively teaching a social studies methods course as part of a Professional Development School project, noting changes in participants' attitudes and apprehensions. Data from taped conversations, journals, and interviews indicated that weekly interactions and joint decision making helped surmount…

After discussing educators' changing roles in U.S. society, this paper encourages teacher educators to guide students' professional development through classroom environments that nurture students' minds, souls, and values. The paper examines how to engage preservice teachers in dialogs about values, identities, and conflicts, challenging them to…

Describes the development of a new online degree program at Northern Arizona University, the Educational Technology Master of Education. Topics include the political process; evidence of need; teachers and technology; professional development for technology use; learning communities; the learning paradigm regarding the mission of a college; and…

Explains Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM), http://www.thegateway.org/ an online indexed database of lesson plans designed for teachers. Evaluates GEM and explores characteristics of teachers who use it to determine whether teachers possessed the technological skills needed to use GEM and if they were successful in their search for…

Explains how one university addressed the assessment of technology skills needed by elementary preservice teachers and how it moved to close the gap between those identified needs and the level of elementary student teacher technology preparedness. Discusses technology competencies and skills desired by elementary administrators, acquired by…