Canadian Teacher Education Research Articles

Research in Canadian Teacher Education: Promises and Problems

The authors critically review reported research in Canadian teacher education to identify areas where research has been conducted and to offer suggestions for improvement. The bulk of the 102 research papers reviewed dealt with the practicum, student characteristics, or program effectiveness. In these areas a wide range of topics were covered with little replication. An empirical-analytic paradigm was the most commonly used methodological approach. The authors conclude that future research requires focused thrusts to understand better the context of teacher education, the options open to planners, and the conceptualizations that drive teacher preparation. For this, a more liberal methodological approach is required, and the concept of what constitutes research must be broadened.

The Problem of Change in Canadian Teacher Education

It is argued that Canadian teacher education is characterized by a paradox - that of change and no change. The cause of this paradox is a delinquency in the pro- cess of implementation; the ability to change at the level of structure is not matched by an ability to change at the level of practice. Explanations are sought as to why this is the case. First, the barriers to change in teacher education are analysed and then a situational analysis exposes tensions in the role of teacher training institutions that inhibit their functioning. Finally, individual differences between institutions are explained by a description of the sagas that tend to acculturate them.

New Directions in Teacher Education in Canada: Alternative Programmes at the University of British Columbia

New Directions in Teacher Education in Canada: Alternative Programmes at the University of British Columbia

Problems of teacher education in Canada's smallest province

In considering the problems of teacher education in Prince Edward Island one must deal not only with the perennial questions about types of programs to be offered but also with the prior question of whether such a small province should attempt to provide for this service locally or participate with neighboring provinces in training teachers for a wider area. The author concludes that this small province can justify its own teacher education program only if the hitherto neglected in-service education function is given priority.

Developmental Stages of Preschool Teachers

Stage 1: Survival During Stage 1, which may last throughout the first full year of teaching, the teacher's main concern is whether she can survive. This preoccupation with survival may be expressed in questions the teacher asks: "Can I get through the day in one piece? Without losing a child? Can I make it until the end of the week? Until the next vacation? Can I really do this kind of work day after day? Will I be accepted by my colleagues?" Such questions are well expressed in Ryan's enlightening collection of accounts of first-year teaching experiences (3).