Global Perspectives on Teacher Preparation and Quality: Implications for the United States

This paper explores the importance of teacher preparation and quality as evidenced by three of the top-performing countries, Canada, Finland, and Singapore, on the 2015 Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA). All three of these countries have exemplary teacher preparation programs that are consistent nationwide with rigorous entry requirements, a demanding course load, and numerous opportunities to gain in-field experience. They also all compensate their teachers at a comparable salary to that of other occupations to incentivize more people to enter the field. In the United States, on the other hand, society devalues teachers, teachers are not paid what they deserve, and there is a lack of consistency in teacher preparation programs, specifically in regards to out-of-field teaching and the alternate ways people can become certified. These two issues have plagued America's educational system, and they have resulted in under-prepared teachers and lower-performing students. Not only is there inconsistency in the way that teachers enter into the profession, but teacher preparation programs themselves vary in their requirements. In order to improve its educational system, America must obtain more rigorous teacher preparation programs, increase teacher salary, provide prospective teachers with more classroom experience, and have specific admission requirements to be a part of the teaching profession. There is much that the United States can learn from the 2015 PISA results and the many successful educational systems around the world, and it is time that America pays attention to the wealth of international educational research available to better its teacher preparation programs and obtain more quality teachers.