Statewide Processes for Improving Middle Level Teacher Education

Abstract

Challenges in middle level teacher prepa ration Two important challenges face middle level teacher preparation: one is specific to middle level, the other affects all teacher education. First, few teachers of students in grades 6-8 receive undergraduate or gradu ate teacher education designed specifically for the middle grades (Scales & McEwin, 1994). In a 1992 study of middle level teacher education in eight states, Scales (1992) found only 17% of middle level teachers had received special middle level preservice preparation for teaching in grades 6-8. In a larger study conducted in 1993 in five states, 22% of the middle level teachers surveyed had received their initial teacher preparation in middle level education (Scales & McEwin, 1994). In both studies, teachers stated strong ly their need to be prepared specifically to teach young adolescents. A second major challenge facing middle level teacher education is the poor quality of teacher preparation generally (Goodlad, 1991). Not only did nearly one-half of the teachers in both the 1992 (Scales, 1992) and the 1993 (Scales & McEwin, 1994) studies rate their preparation as inadequate or poor on topics viewed as important for middle grades teaching, but more serious are the criticisms of teacher education by Goodlad (1991). Goodlad conducted a nationwide study of teacher education pro grams. He found that institutional mission, leadership, organization, and commitment with respect to teacher education [fell] short of the ... conditions (p. 151) necessary for effective teacher education. The major com ponent parts of teacher education programs (i.e., liberal arts coursework, education coursework, and field experiences) often were not connected closely enough to one other and did not form a coherent, whole program. In too many programs teacher education was not the top priority of the fac ulty who taught the courses for prospective teachers, let alone of the institutions housed the program. Moreover, even when all the component parts [were] functioning well and together, the potential for excel lence [was] diminished by state intrusions (Goodlad, 1991, p. 153) into program curric ula based on licensing requirements. Therefore, teacher education in general and middle level teacher education in particular are in need of major improvements, and these improvements must go hand in hand with efforts to improve middle level schools. Although both the process and the sub stance of teacher education reform are important, much more has been written about what needs to be improved in teacher education than the processes to be used in accomplishing the changes. Since several sets of excellent recommendations are avail able about reform of teacher education in