Who are the Teacher Education Students?

Overview & Synopsis

Scores on standardized tests and high school grade point average are not always good predictors of the academic ability or potential success of students choosing to become teachers. An issue often overlooked when sampling the academic qualifications is the identification of students who are not education majors but who plan on becoming teachers. Most of the research studies compare students who are education majors with those who major in other academic areas of study. This sampling overlooks the fact that many of the students who are interested in secondary school teaching actually major in fields other than education and take education courses as a means of obtaining certification. Reports about the academic qualifications of teachers which are based only on those enrolled as education majors in education are missing an important segment of the population of future teachers. There is a need for more data in making policy decisions designed to have an impact on those choosing education as a career. (JD)