Real classroom events are inherently complex and open to multiple interpretations. Narrative is therefore a vital, but underused, tool in helping future teachers understand this complexity and begin to consider the many issues involved in any one instance of teaching and learning. The author discusses how to choose rich, balanced narratives and…

Although there has been research on "professional learning communities" (PLCs) in schools, little attention has been paid to them in contexts of higher education. This article chronicles the development of a PLC, involving the 18 instructors who teach educational psychology each year to 1,400 preservice teacher candidates. Through questionnaires…

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…

This paper presents a qualitative analysis of the assessment chapters from four popular educational psychology texts. Teacher knowledge about assessment tools and how they support learning is critical to improving student outcomes. The goals of the analysis are to (a) differentiate author "voices" by looking at style and content choices, (b)…