The stage is set for graduation. Prospective teachers in America walk across the platform to receive their diplomas in 2014. As a graduate’s name is called out at the University of Minnesota, the crowd cheers as the student also receives a grade-based honor. Getting an honor is a big deal, and 30 percent of all graduate students at around 500 universities do get one. Meanwhile, 44 percent of our nation’s upcoming teachers receive an honor, which is 14 points above the average (National Council on Teacher Quality). This difference can best be explained by the institutions the future teachers graduate from. A high rate of honor students suggests either an extreme enthusiasm for learning from the undergraduate students, or that universities are
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So, are teachers in America graduating from rigorous higher education programs? Potential teachers are leaving universities that, on average, do not train them enough to lead a class. This problem is most rife in the United States, with other countries that have better education in the world having ways to support their teachers correctly. Along with receiving high honors, prospective teachers are heading to classrooms lacking the very thing that would help their students achieve: active learning pedagogies. These teachers are prepared in courses that not only lack rigor, but also lack the use of active learning techniques. Active learning promotes engaging students in the course work, giving them a deeper understanding of what they are being taught. Besides having the education major leave with an honor by having them passively listen to lectures, then get through easy coursework, they need to work harder for it. Active learning techniques provide just that. Higher education programs in America lack rigorous coursework and do not incorporate pedagogies of active learning when preparing teachers. This leads to inexperienced teachers in …show more content…
The report, titled “Easy A 's and What 's Behind Them”, was produced by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a research and policy group, as well as putative leaders in working to ensure that every child has an effective teacher, as advertised by their website. The findings may flummox Americans whose general attitude towards public education and teaching, according to a 2012 poll, was largely positive, with 71% of Americans having trust and confidence in public school teachers (Bushaw & Lopez). NCTQ did not share the same amount of trust and confidence and conducted a hortatory study using evidence from 509 higher education institutions in 2014. The NCTQ uncovered two key findings. One is that in 58% of institutions, grading standards for teacher candidates are much lower than for students in other majors on the same campus, a fact that was touched on before with prospective teachers receiving seemingly undeserved honors. The other finding was that there was “a strong link between high grades and a lack of rigorous coursework, with the primary cause being assignments that fail to develop the critical skills and knowledge every new teacher needs.” This means that students were receiving high grades and honors for doing coursework that was comparatively easier than other majors, most likely coursework that isn’t based on active learning. While this report may seem startling to neophyte
So, are teachers in America graduating from rigorous higher education programs? Potential teachers are leaving universities that, on average, do not train them enough to lead a class. This problem is most rife in the United States, with other countries that have better education in the world having ways to support their teachers correctly. Along with receiving high honors, prospective teachers are heading to classrooms lacking the very thing that would help their students achieve: active learning pedagogies. These teachers are prepared in courses that not only lack rigor, but also lack the use of active learning techniques. Active learning promotes engaging students in the course work, giving them a deeper understanding of what they are being taught. Besides having the education major leave with an honor by having them passively listen to lectures, then get through easy coursework, they need to work harder for it. Active learning techniques provide just that. Higher education programs in America lack rigorous coursework and do not incorporate pedagogies of active learning when preparing teachers. This leads to inexperienced teachers in …show more content…
The report, titled “Easy A 's and What 's Behind Them”, was produced by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a research and policy group, as well as putative leaders in working to ensure that every child has an effective teacher, as advertised by their website. The findings may flummox Americans whose general attitude towards public education and teaching, according to a 2012 poll, was largely positive, with 71% of Americans having trust and confidence in public school teachers (Bushaw & Lopez). NCTQ did not share the same amount of trust and confidence and conducted a hortatory study using evidence from 509 higher education institutions in 2014. The NCTQ uncovered two key findings. One is that in 58% of institutions, grading standards for teacher candidates are much lower than for students in other majors on the same campus, a fact that was touched on before with prospective teachers receiving seemingly undeserved honors. The other finding was that there was “a strong link between high grades and a lack of rigorous coursework, with the primary cause being assignments that fail to develop the critical skills and knowledge every new teacher needs.” This means that students were receiving high grades and honors for doing coursework that was comparatively easier than other majors, most likely coursework that isn’t based on active learning. While this report may seem startling to neophyte