Case Methods In Teacher Education

Teachers and teacher educators have long been aware of the gap between the principles of education taught in university preservice programs and the realities of classroom life. The current burgeoning interest in educational case methods is testimony to the promise of case-based teaching as a way of bridging that gap, and of easing the novice teacher's entry into the classroom. A case holds attributes of both theory and practice, enabling teachers and students alike to examine real-life situations under a laboratory microscope.

This monograph argues that the case method of instruction, used effectively in legal and medical education, offers unique potential for revitalizing the field of teacher education. A description of the use of the case method in two different teaching sessions demonstrates how the method can exemplify the way a teacher frames and solves a dilemma and encourage students to diagnose, justify, and reflect on alternative action plans. In arguing the potential of the case method, several key questions are addressed: (1) What is meant by the "case method," and what purposes has the case method served in other professional fields? (2) How do the capabilities of the case method match up with the necessary components of the teacher education curriculum? and (3) If the case for cases in teacher education is compelling--as this monograph argues that it is--what will it take to move ahead and build the case method into existing teacher education curriculum and instruction? For institutions recognizing education as a professional field, the case method of instruction offers one effective pedagogical method by which to operationalize this belief. (JD)

This book advocates the use of case methods to promote democratic teaching and learning. Part I speaks directly to teacher educators. The chapters in this part suggest how and why they might use case methods at pre- and in-service levels. Part II presents a set of cases and teaching notes designed to stimulate active consideration of democratic teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools throughout the United States. These cases can be used with both prospective and practicing teachers. Case methods in education--like those used to prepare practitioners in other professions such as medicine, law, and business--require learners to attend to detail and to exercise judgment as they identify and solve problems. Although each has its own unique variations, case-method approaches in all fields promote careful examination of professional practice. The cases in this book will help teacher educators think anew about many issues related to teaching and learning with cases.

In higher education, case studies can be utilized to have students put themselves into problems faced by a protagonist and, by doing so, address academic or career-related issues. Working through these issues provides students with an opportunity to gain applied perspective and experiences. Professors in higher education who choose this method of teaching require navigational tools to ensure that students achieve stated learning objectives. Case Study Methodology in Higher Education is an essential research publication that focuses on the history and theories relating to case study methodology including techniques for writing case studies and utilizing them in university settings to prepare students for real-life career-related scenarios. This publication features a wide range of topics such as educational leadership, case writing, and teacher education. It is essential for educators, career professionals, higher education faculty, researchers, and students.

Online education has become a prevalent means of program and course delivery, especially within teacher education programs. However, the lack of preparation in online design is concerning, especially in the field of teacher education where the focus is preparing preservice and practicing teachers to implement effective, evidence-based instructional strategies. Effective Practices in Online Teacher Preparation for Literacy Educators is an essential scholarly resource that shares innovative ideas for translating face-to-face reading/literacy specialist preparation into effective online instruction for courses in literacy education. Highlighting various topics such as instructional design, teacher education, and literacy assessment, this book is ideal for instructors, curriculum developers, instructional designers, IT specialists, education professionals, instructors, administrators, academicians, and researchers.

With the recent and increasing attention to accountability and standards, teacher preparation programs are more than ever in need of tools that vicariously acquaint future teachers with the difficult situations they will face. Cases for Teacher Development: Preparing for the Classroom is the perfect catalyst for this sort of teacher development. The cases encourage students to immerse themselves in classroom situations before they begin their practice, helping them link theory and experience. All of the cases present relevant situations that replicate the complicated, multitasked, and interrelated realms of the teacher.

The Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) in its 2015 position paper on Equity in Mathematics Teacher Education provides a list of actions for mathematics teacher educators (MTE’s) to help them develop and implement equitable practices. The position paper states it is critical that mathematics teacher educators: “Model equity?based pedagogy that emphasizes rich and rigorous mathematics; elicit and build on children’s and young adults’ mathematical thinking; connect to P?12 students’ cultural/linguistic knowledge and backgrounds as well as individual interests; facilitate mathematical discourse; minimize status issues by expanding broader participation and engagement where varied mathematical strengths are valued; and promote positive mathematical identity and agency (p. 2)”. Cases for Mathematics Teacher Educators: Facilitating Conversations about Inequities in Mathematics Classrooms provides an excellent resource to start conversations describing the enactment of these actions. The book is organized into three main sections: (1) Conversations About Inequities in Mathematics Methods Courses, (2) Conversations About Inequities in Mathematics Content Courses, and (3) Conversations about Inequities in Graduate and Professional Development Contexts. Across these sections there are 19 cases and 57 corresponding commentaries focused on dilemmas that arise when mathematics teacher educators foreground equity in their work. This book of cases provides a needed resource for MTEs to engage prospective teachers, practicing teachers, and future teacher educators in discussions about inequities, privilege, and oppression in society, in schools, and in the mathematics classroom. It is the product of the thinking and experiences of 87 authors who are committed to the improvement of mathematics teacher education.

This third edition of Teaching and the Case Method is a further response to increased national and international interest in teaching, teachers, and learning, as well as the pressing need to enhance instructional effectiveness in the widest possible variety of settings. Like its predecessors, this edition celebrates the joys of teaching and learning at their best and emphasizes the reciprocal exchange of wisdom that teachers and students can experience. It is based on the belief that teaching is not purely a matter of inborn talent. On the contrary, the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that make for excellence in teaching can be analyzed, abstracted, and learned. One key premise of Teaching and the Case Method is that all teaching and learning involve a core of universally applicable principles that can be discerned and absorbed through the study and discussion of cases.