ERIC Number: EJ982404
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0313-5373
EISSN: N/A
Crossing the Primary and Secondary School Divide in Teacher Preparation
Knipe, Sally
Australian Journal of Teacher Education, v37 n5 p78-89 2012
Teacher education courses at universities qualify graduates to teach in age-related contexts of primary/early childhood/secondary that reflect the organisational structure of schools. In terms of teacher employment, for some considerable time, these longstanding organisational divisions have been by-passed whereby a shortage of teachers in particular areas (for example a perennial shortage of science and mathematics teachers) has resulted in schools employing teachers in subjects and grade levels for which they are not qualified. More recently, the development of middle schooling, P/K to 10 and P/K to 12 colleges, has created demand for teachers with generic skills able to teach across a wide age range. As universities design teacher education courses that are required to meet the demands of teacher registration organizations, flexibility can be compromised. The intent of this article is to challenge the restrictions of early childhood/primary/secondary divisions and to advocate for more flexibility in the design of teacher education courses. An example of a K-12 Bachelor of Education degree course that produces graduates who meet teacher registration requirements for all three divisions, providing the option to teach across all years of school, is presented. A graduate from this program has enhanced employment opportunities as well as a more flexible career pathway.
Descriptors: Children, Teacher Education, College Graduates, Employment Opportunities, Elementary Secondary Education, Education Courses, Teacher Employment, Elementary School Teachers, Secondary School Teachers, Teacher Qualifications, Curriculum Design, Teacher Education Curriculum, Instructional Program Divisions, Educational History, Bachelors Degrees, Undergraduate Study, Accreditation (Institutions), Faculty Mobility, Foreign Countries
Edith Cowan University. Bradford Street, Mount Lawley, West Australia 6050, Australia. Web site: http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A