Record Detail

Much of the research on assessing and comparing
teacher education has focused on schools of education
in westernized contexts. While teacher training
programs in East Asia have received comparatively less
attention than those in North America, Europe, and Australia,
they may also offer practical insight through their
similarities and differences. This study reports on an
international quantitative comparison of undergraduate
teacher education outcomes at individual Japanese and
Taiwanese universities of education, viewed from both
students’ perspectives and outcomes on high-stakes qualification
examinations. A sample of graduating students
from one Japanese (n = 408) and one Taiwanese
(n = 525) teacher training institution each completed surveys
regarding the degree of preparation for teaching
attributed to their undergraduate experience. Survey
instruments were taken from previous research assessing
teacher education programs. Exploratory and confirmatory
factor analyses indicated good fit for a three-factor model
in both contexts, with factors including preparation for
understanding and interacting with students, preparation
for designing curriculum and instruction, and preparation
for assuming in-school responsibilities. Subsequent
MANOVA and univariate analyses indicated that the Taiwanese
teacher training cohort perceived themselves significantly
more prepared for teaching than the sample from
the Japanese institution. Likewise, a larger portion from the
Taiwanese institution chose to enter the teaching profession.
Implications for teacher education practice based on
institution- and policy-level differences are discussed