Journal of Teacher Education

Adler and Goodman describe efforts to develop a social studies methods course that links the theoretical ideas of recent work on critical theory in education to practical applications in the preparation of teachers. They discuss the literature that serves as a foundation for their course development, give an example of critical theory in practice, and address problems associated with implement ing critical theory.

Although reflective inquiry has been pro moted for many years as a progressive and effective method of teaching the social studies, its incorporation into classroom practice remains question able. Ross and Hannay assign part of the blame to those interpreters of Dewey's inquiry model who advocate a procedural or technical rather than a dialectic approach to thinking. Teacher education practices also contribute to the lack of critical reflection existing in schools. Too frequently the rationale for reflective teaching is expounded through expository techniques and a technical inquiry approach.

The authors argue that the university classroom must become not only the venue for transmitting traditional know ledge on teacher education but also a laboratory where such practices are modeled, experienced, and reflected upon. Such a truly reflective inquiry model needs to be firmly grounded in critical theory by incorporating the appli cation of principles, not procedures, in the investigation of social issues.

Lauderdale argues for using oral history to provide insight into the dynamics of being a professional teacher educator. His position is that oral history, as a pedagogical technique, is appropriate to teacher education and can be used in many subject matter disciplines by his torians and non-historians alike.

Stover develops a research-based rationale for using writing as a teaching strategy in teacher education. She specifies categories of uses for writing as well as principles for developing as signments and includes sample exer cises and student responses to demon strate the power of participating in the writing process.

Researchers who study the teaching of physical education have examined teacher and student behavior using sys tematic observation, teacher feedback to students, the application of principles of motor learning and, more recently, task analysis and the qualitative paradigm. Although research has had limited im pact on the teaching of physical educa tion in the schools to date, Placek and Locke suggest that cautious optimism is now in order due to newly acquired knowledge and a new generation of teacher educators.

Metzler describes the theoretical bases and a general model for integrating teacher effectiveness research with sys tematic observation to evaluate physical education teaching. The ability to de lineate desirable teaching skills and to monitor preservice teachers' acquisition of those skills represents a new potential for improving theteaching of motor play and fitness. The author argues against holding physical educators accountable for student achievement until some per vasive instructional constraints are eased. The suggestion is made, how ever, that physical educators should be able to "account for" their pedagogical practices.