An Analysis of Instructional Planning Skills of Social Studies Teacher Trainees

Abstract

Data were collected from trainees of teacher education institutions with programs designed to instruct trainees to plan to achieve higher level cognitive and affective objectives, use a variety of activities, and develop valid criterion measures. Sixty trainees submitted planned instructional units. Objectives and questions on the criterion measures were classified as belonging to cognitive or affective domain and level within each domain. Activities were classified using a modification of Dale's “Cone of Experiences.” In most instances, trainees planned for low level cognitive objectives to be achieved by group verbal activities. Also, the criterion measures were not related to the planned objectives, and therefore, not valid. Plausible explanations of why the programs of the teacher education institutions had little effect on the instructional planning skills of their trainees were presented.