Marketing Education Certification Programs: Status and Future Directions.

Overview & Synopsis

A study of marketing education teacher preparation programs was conducted in order to provide baseline data. Fifty-three marketing education programs were identified and a survey instrument was mailed to their administrators. Forty-one of the administrators (77 percent) provided usable responses. The study found that traditional teacher education preparation programs continue to reflect credit requirements that meet general education, occupational specialization, and professional education components. Recent educational reform efforts have focused on the expectations of higher education to increase the standards and to change the preparation and requirements of licensure for teachers. The majority of degrees offered by institutions that offer teacher education in marketing are bachelor's degrees in marketing education. Preservice marketing education programs require an average of 127 credit hours to complete the degree. In the study, teacher educators identified a variety of courses required for curriculum or teaching methodology. Opportunities for students to enroll in courses other than classroom or independent study were limited. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made for further research to identify curriculum changes that are essential to updating marketing education programs, to determine the feasibility of an internship option, and to deliver alternate delivery modes for students to use to complete degrees other than on campus. (Contains 12 references.) (KC)