The Effects of Teacher Education on Elementary and Secondary Preservice Teachers' Beliefs about Integration: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Abstract The power of teacher education programs is an important issue with regard to the formation and sustainability of educational reform. This longitudinal study examines the beliefs and perceptions of 211 elementary and secondary preservice teachers concerning the concept of integrated teaching as they progress through their teacher education program. The coursework portion of the program provided statistically significant positive changes about the integration of subjects in the classroom. With the exception of secondary preservice Teachers' perceptions of support, the student teaching experiences did not significantly change the beliefs of either group. The results have implications for the importance of teacher education for the implementation of quality teaching.