Project Activities
Research question
- Who enters teacher preparation programs (pre-service, graduate, and alternative)? What is their academic preparation? What is their educational background?
- What type of instruction and experiences do participants receive in preparation programs? Who delivers it? To what extent is there commonality in content and experiences?
- To what extent is the required course work and experiences in reading and mathematics across teacher preparation programs consistent with converging scientific evidence?
Structured Abstract
Design
An independent committee of experts synthesized data and research on: 1) the academic preparation and educational characteristics of candidates in pre-service, graduate, and alternative certification programs; 2) the specific content and experiences that are provided to candidates for degrees and alternative certification in education; 3) the consistency of the required coursework and experiences in reading and mathematics across teacher preparation programs; and 4) the degree to which the content and experiences are based on converging scientific evidence.
Key findings
- Specific conclusions about the characteristics of teacher preparation programs were not possible because of the paucity of systematic research as well as the enormous variation in virtually all aspects of teacher preparation programs and pathways.
- There was little definitive evidence that particular approaches to teacher preparation yielded teachers whose students were more successful than others.
- Little is known about the best ways to prepare prospective teachers to teach across various subject areas.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
A report, titled Preparing Teachers: Building Evidence for Sound Policy, was released in April 2010.
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
