ABSTRACT
Zeichner (2008) has documented some alternative models of teacher preparation that have emerged in the US since the 1980s. In recent years, a number of school districts and private providers have also initiated pre-service teacher preparation programmes and projects like the 'New Teacher Project' and 'Troops to Teachers'. The American Board for the Certification of Teaching Excellence (ABCTE) programme became recognized in five states as providing certification to teach. The certification required no formal college-based teacher preparation. Such developments encouraged various critics of college and university-based teacher education programmes to call for the elimination of state licensing of teachers and to give the public schools the right to hire anyone they wish. Creating an effective distance education system for teacher preparation and teacher on-going professional development means immersing the students in high-quality learning experiences with instructors who themselves embody the characteristics of good teaching.
