Are our teachers receiving adequate pre-service education and appropriate support in their first few years of teaching?
From TIMSS and other research, we know that pre-service and teacher induction practices vary from country to country. While our teachers are among the most educatedin terms of postsecondary degreesothers countries sometimes require more classroom experience prior to certification or provide more support for new teachers. For example, in Germany, teachers must serve what amounts to a two-year teaching “apprenticeship” before they are granted certification. And in Japan, teachers in their first full year of teaching have a reduced class load to accommodate professional development activities, both in school under the guidance of a mentor teacher, and at a centralized professional development facility. Again, we do not have yet have a complete picture, but hope that the initial research can be of relevance to those exploring this issue in the United States.
