The Teaching Profession in the Modern Era: 1945-present

A. Teacher Education

1. Teacher education becomes standardized because circumstances surrounding it are settled.

· Public elementary and secondary education is universal---- these schools require more professionally rained teachers.
· States take over certification thus ending a clearer signal to teacher preparation programs as to what is expected.
· More research has been done on teaching and learning. Thus, more and more varied courses can be developed for teacher programs.
· Professional organizations of teachers had begun to take interest in teacher programs.

2. Controversies

· Weakened general education course requirements in the 1960s

· Elementary Teachers: Methodology vs. Academic Content

· Secondary Teachers : Academic Content vs. Methodology

3. Curriculum was by mid-century dominated by social foundations of education (history, philosophy, sociology) and behavioral foundations of education (psychology, testing, statistics). Also, field experiences were expanded to include "student teaching."

B. Educational Debates Impacting on Teacher Preparation and Expectation

· Soft pedagogy debate associated with "life adjustment" courses---- value adjustment, courses on civic responsibility, how to function as an adult economically, socially, politically, etc…

· Critics: Arthor Bestor, Restoration of Learning, Sputnik, 1957, Hyman Rickover, Max Rafferty

· Defenders' claims: Comparisons to other nations' students unfair; more facilities needed--- not better prepared teachers; students' problems were real!

C. New Curriculum in 1960's and Teacher Education/Expectation

· Brunner's emphasis on "inquiry method" (as opposed to lecture)
· Nongraded classrooms
· Team teaching
· Educational technology

D. Nation at Risk, The Imperative For Educational Reform (1983)

Recommendations:

· Teachers should be held to higher standards

· Salaries should be increased for eachers AND be more competitive

· Teachers (for more money) should work eleven months (work on curriculum development and professional enrichment)

· Alternative routes to teaching certification (mid-life career change)

· Incentives to attract bright students into teaching
· Teachers should be more involved in the ongoing development of teacher education programs.

E. Federal Laws Impacting on Teacher in the Classroom

· 1958, National Defense Education Act, push math and science studies
· 1965, Head Start inaugurated
· 1960's Federal Title Programs for impoverished
· 1974, Rights for children with handicaps
· 1975, mainstreaming provisions in handicap law

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