A National Overview of Teacher Education in Australia

Abstract

As the world increasingly becomes interconnected, the content of teacher education and student learning becomes more challenging. As reported by Skilbeck and Connell (2004) teachers have to come to terms with "constantly changing societal requirements" (p.7). In Australia there are currently about 255000 teachers (Teaching Australia, 2006). Here as elsewhere in the world, there is an ageing teaching workforce and therefore increasing retirements. In this context, the preparation of new teachers and the ongoing professional development of those in the current teaching force are seen by many to be the key to educational improvement. One of the hallmarks of a profession is a specialised body of knowledge acquired through professional education (Darling-Hammond, 2003). This chapter looks at the nature of initial teacher education programs, providing a general overview of teacher education goals, entry requirements, programs and professional experience.