This article offers a rationale for requirement of the master's degree for teachers and suggestions for how such a policy could be implemented. It is suggested that, by the turn of the century, master's degree requirements will be inevitable because of societal expectations. (IAH)

A 10-year comparison of graduates from 4- and 5-year teacher education programs reveals that 5-year graduates enter teaching at higher rates and stay in teaching longer. They are happier with their careers, judge their teacher preparation as better, and rate their teaching abilities higher than do their 4-year counterparts. (IAH)

This article describes a collaborative action research project between University of Houston education faculty and the staff of five elementary schools. The project investigated the status of learning cultures for teachers and administrators in their schools. Implications for initial and continuing preparation of teachers and principals are drawn.…

Twenty-one selected references on teacher education reform are included in this annotated bibliography. All references are from the ERIC database and focus on reform from a broad perspective. (IAH)

Results are reported from a study to determine whether students (N=74) who were admitted to a teacher education program without meeting one or more admissions requirements differed in teaching performance and program completion from students (N=74) admitted on a regular basis. (IAH)

Presents a description of pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics, constructed from interviews with fifth grade teachers; suggests modifications in the general conception of pedagogical content knowledge based on this description, and suggests revisions in teacher education practices to improve teachers' understanding of pedagogical content…

An education course for prospective teachers was designed to include a field experience that challenged students' underlying beliefs about teaching and learning. This article describes and discusses prospective teachers' reactions to encounters with an unconventional third grade teacher's approach to teaching negative numbers. (IAH)

Describes how hypermedia technology is being used in content methods courses in Vanderbilt University's elementary teacher education program to achieve improvements in preservice teacher education. Evaluation data indicate that use of video examples in the mathematics methods courses influenced the way preservice teachers taught mathematics.…

Conversations between four mentor and four novice teachers were analyzed to discover how they discussed issues about teaching and learning of content. Analysis of conversations revealed several ways that mentors dealt with novices' understanding of subject matter. Conversations are discussed in relation to four aspects of learning to teach…

The role of values in developing pedagogical content knowledge was examined through interviews and classroom observations of four expert high school teachers. Analysis indicated that teachers' value orientations to their subject matter influenced their choice of content, use of the textbook, pedagogical strategies, and perceptions of students'…

Discusses three teachers' syntactical subject matter knowledge in science. The focus of the discussion is the link between teachers' views of the growth of scientific knowledge and the methods they use to help students construct a knowledge of science. (IAH)

An increase in understanding of the cognitive processes involved in reading and writing can improve teachers' effectiveness. Results from a survey of 48 states indicate that certification requirements for teaching reading and writing at elementary, secondary, and adult education levels are minimal. Implications for teacher education are discussed.…

Presents an interview with Richard Kunkel, Executive Director of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) from 1984-90 (a time when NCATE was undergoing a major change). Kunkel discusses the impact of accreditation and the NCATE redesign on the improvement of the teaching profession. (SM)

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education's accreditation standard requires that teacher education programs be based on essential knowledge. This article describes five attributes of a knowledge base for program design as a set of beliefs; an organizing theme; source documents; a program model; and program outcomes and evaluation…

Study compared classroom performance of novice, advanced beginner, and expert teachers, examining subject matter knowledge and delivery, educational connoisseurship, nonverbal behavior, and systematic observation. Results indicate teachers without pedagogical training are less able to keep students on task, provide appropriate feedback, deliver…