Critical Features of Special Education Teacher Preparation

TLDR

Policy and program decisions about teacher preparation are contested amid teacher shortages, yet research on special education teacher education is scarce, underscoring the need for comparative studies grounded in general teacher education findings. The authors aim to develop a framework from general education and apply it to analyze special education teacher education programs. They performed an exhaustive review of special education program descriptions and evaluations to apply the framework. They conclude by outlining steps to strengthen the research base for special education teacher education.

Abstract

Policy and program decisions involve choices among different ways of preparing teachers. These choices are shrouded in increasingly contentious debates as teacher shortages reach crisis proportions. Yet, research on special education teacher education is almost nonexistent. Findings from comparative research documenting the characteristics of effective teacher education programs can inform these choices, but these findings should be grounded in what we know from previous research in general teacher education. To assist educators, we have analyzed literature in general and special teacher education toward two ends. First, we present a framework, derived from work in general education, for analyzing teacher education programs. Second, we use this framework to analyze practice in teacher education in special education. Specifically, we conducted an exhaustive review of special education program descriptions and evaluations. We conclude by describing steps necessary to improve the special education teacher education research base.