This work addresses a subject of common interest in western countries, that of the apparently diminishing role of universities in the education of teachers. There is pressure to redesign teacher education, an on-going struggle between those who see the need to strengthen the knowledge base of teachers and those who favour learning on the job; there is a perceived need to define precisely what teachers need to know and be able to do and at the same time there is relaxation of entry standards for students entering the profession in an attempt to relieve the chronic shortage of teachers. This...

This work addresses a subject of common interest in western countries, that of the apparently diminishing role of universities in the education of teachers. There is pressure to redesign teacher education, an on-going struggle between those who see the need to strengthen the knowledge base of teachers and those who favour learning on the job; there is a perceived need to define precisely what teachers need to know and be able to do and at the same time there is relaxation of entry standards for students entering the profession in an attempt to relieve the chronic shortage of teachers. This...