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Balancing Stakeholders' Interests In Evolving Teacher Education Accreditation Contexts

Elliott, Alison (2008). Balancing Stakeholders' Interests In Evolving Teacher Education Accreditation Contexts. The College Teaching Methods and Styles Journal,4(2):53-58.

Document type: Journal Article

IRMA ID 83950043xPUB115
Title Balancing Stakeholders' Interests In Evolving Teacher Education Accreditation Contexts
Author Elliott, Alison
Journal Name The College Teaching Methods and Styles Journal
Publication Date 2008
Volume Number 4
Issue Number 2
ISSN 1548-9566   (check CDU catalogue open catalogue search in new window)
eISSN 2157-880X
Start Page 53
End Page 58
Total Pages 6
Place of Publication United States of America
Publisher Clute Institue for Academic Research
Field of Research 1301 - Education Systems
HERDC Category C1 - Journal Article (DEST)
Abstract While Australian teacher education programs have long had rigorous accreditation pathways at the University level they have not been subject to the same formal public or professional scrutiny typical of professions such as medicine, nursing or engineering. Professional accreditation for teacher preparation programs is relatively new and is linked to teacher registration which in itself is relatively recent in most jurisdictions. As elsewhere, the goal of accreditation is to enhance the overall quality of teacher preparation programs and to meet jurisdictional requirements for initial teacher competence.

Any new system of quality control takes time to develop and to embed into professional cultures and academic processes at the university or college level. Accreditation processes are no exception and Australia is grappling to develop procedures that meet jurisdictional legislative requirements, assure the public of the quality of teacher preparation and suit the professional context for each state. As yet these procedures have not focused on professional growth, accomplished or expert teaching, or quality within specific areas of preparation. While all agree that the ultimate goal of accreditation is quality assurance- to improve teaching quality in schools, negotiating optimum pathways to quality outcomes is no easy task in a country with an education system and population as diverse as Australia.

This paper considers some of the practical and institutional issues confronting teacher education providers as they come to terms with new regulatory environments that require external accreditation of teacher education to meet varying state and national policy agendas. Specifically, it focuses on issues engaging a small and regional teacher education provider, Charles Darwin University as it negotiates developing registration and accreditation requirements. It also flags the need to improve teacher quality through acknowledgement of advanced practice in teaching and expert performance in delivering teacher education.
Keywords Teacher education accreditation contexts
Regulatory environments
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.19030/ctms.v4i2.5526   (check subscription with CDU E-Gateway service for CDU Staff and Students  check subscription with CDU E-Gateway in new window)
 
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Created: Fri, 08 May 2009, 08:32:50 CST by Sarena Wegener