1 Teacher Preparation: Instructional Effectiveness Overview Teachers play a central role in student success (Hattie, 2009; Nye et al., 2004). The experiences that teacher candidates have while in teacher preparation programs shape their future students’ success (Bacharach et al., 2010). To best prepare teachers, teacher preparation programs must use instructional methods that effectively contribute to teacher candidates learning and mastering important skills. The purpose of this overview is to provide information about how university teacher preparation programs train teachers, or their instructional effectiveness. Teaching methods are approaches to teaching and learning that translate concepts and abstractions into applied ideas and strategies (Burden & Byrd, 2010). This overview does not focus on what content teachers should teach or what teachers should know (see Curriculum Content for Teacher Training Overview) or on experience (see Student Teaching Overview). Important questions about instructional effectiveness include: • What methods of instruction are most effective for training teachers? • How well do teacher preparation programs align with most effective practices? • Can performance assessment exams serve as instructional experiences for teacher candidates? History of Teacher Preparation Programs In the 19th century, teacher education occurred in a variety of settings including normal schools that were specifically dedicated to training teachers. In the 20th century, teacher training moved to state colleges and regional universities. Through these transformations, teacher education broadened beyond simply teaching technical routines and information to encompass a liberal arts