Principles of Strategies Instruction as the Basis of Effective Preservice Teacher Education

Abstract

Current efforts to promote educational reform across iall areas of education are challenging preservice teacher educators in special education to rethink how individuals traditionally have been prepared to teach exceptional students. In addition, the integration of new research on how learning occurs has forced teacher educators to reconceptualize what knowledge teachers need to teach and how exceptional students learn. Much of this knowledge about learning and teaching fits under the broad umbrella of what is called strategies instruction. The strategies instructional approach is based on research that indicates that successful learners have effective and efficient strategies to solve learning problems. In a parallel manner, successful teachers are believed to have effective and efficient strategies to solve teaching problems. This article argues for the reconfiguration of traditional teacher training programs for preparing teachers to teach mildly handicapped students around the concept of strategies instruction. This should include not only what is taught to teachers about learning and teaching, but also how teacher trainers go about incorporating the principles of strategies instruction in the organization and delivery of this information. The basis for these arguments has emerged from a project for college and university preservice educators related to infusing the strategies instructional approach into preservice teacher training programs. This project has been conducted at the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities over the past three years and has involved over 200 special and general education preservice teacher trainers. Preliminary findings indicate that while the content of teacher training programs is changing to include more information about strategies instruction, the organization and delivery of this information may not be consistent with the basic premises of the strategies instructional approach. Specific suggestions for reconceptualizing course structures and preparation experiences consistent with a strategies orientation are discussed.