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Instructional methods in higher education are changing in response to the growing popularity for distance learning courses. Investigating methods of instruction that will assist in the manner that coursework is taught in online courses is therefore a significant enterprise to research. Specifically, examining the relation between theory and practice in programs of teacher education where application is an integral part of the curriculum as well as students’ future career is of utmost importance. Instruction using the case study method enables instructors to involve their students with the realities of teaching using scenarios built around authentic educational dilemmas, where students can problem-solve varying outcomes and generate possible solutions from multiple theoretical viewpoints. Self-regulated learning has been consistently shown to be a fundamental component in the academic success of online learners. Existing research studies on distance learners has specifically shown mastery-approach goals to be predictive of self-regulated learning. This study found significant relationships between the use of authentic case studies in online preservice teaching, self-regulation, and mastery approach goals. Additionally, the results of this study also identified that the relationship between self-regulation and mastery approach goals was strengthened when using case studies that were authentic.

This study examined the assessment literacy of primary/junior teacher candidates in all four years of their concurrent program. Candidates from each year of the program completed a survey pertaining to self-described level of assessment literacy, main purposes of assessment, utilization of different assessment methods, need for further training, and suggested methods for promoting assessment literacy in university and practice teaching settings. Levels of self-efficacy remained relatively low for teacher candidates across each of the four years of this program. Most candidates suggested summative purposes for assessment and only a minority expressed formative purposes. They favoured observational techniques and personal communication. /// Cette étude porte sur la capacité d'évaluation chez les étudiants en pédagogie durant les quatre années de leur programme de formation à l'enseignement au primaire et au premier cycle du secondaire. Des étudiants de chaque année du programme ont rempli un questionnaire portant sur les sujets suivants: auto-estimation de leur apitude à l'évaluation, buts principaux des évaluations, utilisation de diverses méthodes d'évaluation, besoin d'une formation plus poussée et suggestion de méthodes pouvant aider à perfectionner l'aptitude à l'évaluation à l'université et lors de stages pédagogiques. Les répondants dans chacune des années du programme estimaient que leur capacité d'évaluation était relativement faible. La plupart ont parlé d'évaluations sommatives et seulement une minorité, d'évaluations formatives. Les répondants favorisaient les techniques d'observation et les communications personnelles.

The importance of parent–teacher communication has been widely recognized; however, there is only limited research on teaching effective listening skills to education professionals. In this study, a pretest–posttest control group design was used to examine the effect of instruction on the active listening skills of preservice education professionals. Instruction resulted in statistically significant improvement for targeted active listening skills. As a measure of social validity, parents of preschool and school-age children viewed pre- and postinstruction videotapes of preservice education professionals in role-play conversations. The parents judged the postinstruction performances of the preservice education professionals to be better examples of effective communication than the preinstruction performances of the preservice education professionals.

Technology use permeates virtually all aspects of twenty-first century society, though its integration in early childhood settings and recognition as a developmentally appropriate practice remains problematic. A position is taken that education professionals may be ‘missing the boat’ by not embracing technology usage as a developmentally appropriate practice. Concerns are presented that both preservice education and inservice professional development require substantial improvement if early childhood education professionals are to both recognize the role of technology in developmentally appropriate practice and develop skills in using it in classroom settings.

As reasons to promote the inclusion of graphic novels in the curriculum expand, many teachers have yet to incorporate graphic novels into their teaching repertoire. In this article, two teacher educators describe a systematic approach that they use to teach preservice teachers how to read graphic novels, focusing on specific strategies in three major areas: visual literacy, key graphic novel vocabulary, and synthesizing images and words. The goal is to promote the use of graphic novels by preservice teachers for multiple purposes in future classrooms. These strategies are shared to encourage inservice teachers to develop a level of comfort with graphic novels by systematically trying out the strategies themselves and considering the addition of graphic novels to their curriculum.

Although modeling is an instructional approach commonly named in literacy education circles, the authors struggled to articulate the essential features of modeling to preservice teachers. This was a problem for them and for the preservice teachers with whom they worked. The problem also represents a larger one in the field, which is that educators are still building that which is the foundation of most other professions: a shared professional language. Efforts to build a shared professional language are important for literacy educators seeking to reflect on and improve their craft, literacy leaders working to make change at the school level, and mentor teachers and teacher educators tasked with preparing the next generation of teachers. The authors describe their efforts to articulate and represent modeling in elementary literacy instruction.

In this article, we use a case study to provide suggestions and lessons for considering mathematical literacy instruction. Preservice teachers in the study were provided coursework and support in designing mathematical literacy instruction, and then they incorporated that instruction into a field-based practicum experience. We then studied their perceptions to consider how teachers might be supported in mathematical literacy instruction. Themes that emerged from analysis focused on the role of mathematical literacy in mathematics instruction, complexities of instantiating inquiry in mathematics instruction, and linking teacher education in mathematical literacy to the realities of secondary mathematics curricula and schooling. Findings are presented in the form of lessons gleaned from these themes that teachers, mathematics coaches, and teacher educators might use to provide support for mathematical literacy instruction and integration.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine changes in eight preservice teachers’ professional identity and the factors contributing to such changes during a four-week block practicum. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative case study design was used and the data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with preservice teachers and their mentors, reflective journals and observation checklists. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the data. Findings – The findings showed high levels of confidence and development of teacher voice by the end of their four-week block practicum. The findings also suggested that positive mentoring relationships contributed to changes in the preservice teachers’ teacher identity. Research limitations/implications – Despite focussing on a relatively small number of preservice secondary teachers during the first four-week practicum of a single teacher education program at a Western Australian University, this research highlights the need to maintain constructive mentoring relationships with preservice teachers to provide positive influences on their professional identity. In order to facilitate this, preservice teacher education programs should provide thorough training for mentor teachers. Originality/value – This work highlighted the crucial role of mentor teachers in creating positive impacts on preservice teachers’ professional identity, such as development of their confidence and teacher voice. This paper provides useful insights for researchers, mentor teachers, and preservice teacher education policy developers.

While awareness of the need to teach with social justice has increased, research suggests that significant disparities in educational opportunities continue to negatively affect marginalised students. Scholars have suggested teachers with certain caring dispositions are more likely to teach with social justice and there is some evidence that empathic and compassionate teachers are more likely to enact stronger social justice beliefs and attitudes. Therefore, promoting these characteristics among preservice teachers might be beneficial. To further explore the relationship between these constructs, the current study examined the relations among dimensions of compassion and social justice among preservice teachers and whether this relationship is mediated by empathy. Results indicated that, in most of the mediation analyses, empathy conveys the effect of compassion on preservice teachers’ social justice beliefs. We also obtained evidence for a direct effect of motivated compassionate engagement and action on educational social justice beliefs, which might be partially explained by the nature of the empathy scale used. Extending previous research, we suggest that fostering preservice teachers’ compassion alongside empathy may support the development of social justice-oriented pedagogies. Further implications of these findings are discussed.

Given increased attention to disciplinary literacy in K–5 contexts, there is a need to explore how elementary preservice teachers are trained to engage in disciplinary instruction. The authors present a curriculum for fostering disciplinary language and literacy awareness in elementary teacher preparation. First, they explain how and why they support preservice teachers in critically reflecting on their language experiences. Second, the authors illustrate how they scaffold preservice teachers in moving from merely recognizing the speaking, listening, reading, and writing bound up in disciplinary practices to deconstructing and designing lessons that attend explicitly to the language of the disciplines. The authors conclude by addressing the opportunities and challenges of integrating this work into early childhood education programs.