ABSTRACT
Teacher preparation and development have become increasingly important foci for the process of school reform and educational excellence. A spate of national reports (Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy, 1986; Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, 1996; Holmes Group, 1986; National Governors’ Association, 1986) have reaffirmed the importance of quality teacher preparation, induction, and ongoing professional support and development. The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, for example, in a recent report ‘What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s Future’ (1996) acknowledges that teaching and quality preparation of teachers are the linchpins of real reform. Endorsing an even more significant role for colleges and universities, this report also admonishes policymakers to confront several ‘fatal distractions’—myths that hamper thoughtful, coherent, and long-range solutions to teacher development. Among the myths are assertions that anyone can teach, that teachers don’t work hard enough, and that teacher education is not of much use. This enduring set of beliefs substitutes ‘bromides and platitudes for the hard work required to improve teaching’ (1996, p. 51) and teacher preparation in the higher education arena.
