In this study the feasibility and educational value of students' writing their own textbook was explored for a particular course in which commercial textbooks had become a normal feature. The course itself was about introductory educational psychology--a common requirement for preservice teachers in training. In lieu of buying a commercial text,…

The belief systems with which teacher candidates enter their preservice programs powerfully shape their perceptions about teaching and learning. Data were gathered from 412 teacher candidates over the course of 5 academic years. Each of the participants posed 2 questions at the beginning of their course that they would like to be answered during…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which preservice teachers understood and applied motivation concepts personally as learners and professionally for their future classroom practice. An assignment in an educational psychology class required the students to construct a motivational toolbox with five strategies for themselves…

Preservice teachers (PTs) tend to enter teacher education programs with naive understandings of the nature of teaching. In order to enhance their development of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to be an effective educator, I designed an innovative Educational Psychology assignment in the practice of teaching. PTs (N=48) formed…