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EDCS217 Carpio and Sadiasa

Teacher Education Programs of Selected Countries: A Comparative Analysis

I. Introduction
Teachers play a crucial role in developing the minds of the students into individuals who are
prepared with the opportunities and challenges of the world. They influence and create impact on
the lives of their students through teaching lessons not just inside but also outside the classroom.
While teaching is not an easy job in which anyone can just become one, thousands of new
teachers in the Philippines graduate each year from colleges and universities offering teacher
education programs.

According to the Republic Act 7784, teacher education institutions (TEIs) of the country are
responsible to provide pre-service training with "well-planned and relevant instructional
programs" to future teachers so that they will be competitive and excellent in all aspects of
teaching (Balagtas, Calapardo & Dacanay, 2016). At present, there is an increasing number of
teacher education institutions with a total of 2,586 across the country comprised by public
schools (233), State Colleges and Universities (111), SUCs satellite (447), Local Colleges (108),
Special Higher Education (14), and private-run institutions (1,673) that offer teacher education to
aspiring teachers (TEC, 2018).

The good number of tertiary institutions offering teacher education programs indicates an
accessible and available teacher education to Filipino aspiring teachers. However, several
questions arise with regards to the performance of these TEIs: Is the increase in number of TEIs
in the country also goes with the quality of teacher education program it offer? Are these TEIs at
par with the international standards of quality teacher education programs? What can the
Philippines learn from the teacher education programs of other countries?

This paper analyses different teacher education systems and programs of select countries in the
world. Specifically, it focuses on the policies and standards as bases of their teacher education
programs, the teacher education programs as pathways of becoming a teacher, the content and
subject offered in teacher education programs, and licensing to qualify for teaching.
Furthermore, it aims to answer the following discussion questions:

a. What are the similarities and differences among the Teacher Education Program in the
select countries?
b. How does practice teaching contribute to the quality of teacher education programs and
its graduates?
c. How can the Philippines improve its teacher education programs considering structure
and best practices from other countries?

II. Review of Related Literature

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Teacher Education Programs of Selected Countries: A Comparative Analysis

A. Teacher Education as an Initial Preparation

a. Type of Teacher Education System: Centralized or Decentralized


Teacher education systems vary around the world. Some countries have teacher education
systems that are centralized, where the power of planning and decision making is exclusively in
the hands of the government or top management, and others have decentralized, where the power
of planning and decision-making is disseminated by the government or top management to the
states, territories or jurisdictions.

Among the selected countries studied, most of the ASEAN countries specifically the Philippines,
Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore have centralized teacher education systems. A governing
body establishes a standard and structure for its teacher education institutions to follow. In the
Philippines, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is responsible for that framework. It
releases Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSGs) that each Teacher Education Institution
should adhere in its programs. Thailand‘s Office of Higher Education Commission and Teacher
Education Council, and Malaysia‘s Teacher Education Division (Ministry of Higher Education
established in 2004) on the other hand are in authority to institute program structure for its
teacher education institutions (Vibulphol et.al., 2015). In Singapore, however, the Ministry of
Education partners with the National Institute of Education (NIE) at Nanyang Technological
University and gives them full authority to develop a relevant framework for teacher education.
Only NIE provides teacher education programs to aspiring teachers of the country (NIES, n.d.).

Unlike most of the ASEAN countries mentioned, Indonesia has a decentralized teacher education
system. The Higher Education Act of 2012 provides autonomy and power to tertiary education
institution in terms of management, curriculum and the use of resources. Also stipulated in the
Act Number 20, 2003 or the Law on National Education System that the basic frameworks,
curriculum structure and curriculum of higher education shall be developed by each higher
education institution concerned, taking into consideration national standards of education such as
the inclusion of (1) religious education; (2) civic education and (3) language for each program of
study.

Australia also has a decentralized teacher education system. Initial Teacher Education (ITE)
program providers develop and design their programs and submit it for accreditation to their state
teacher regulatory authority. As the accreditation process is based on national standards,
programs developed, however, must meet the requirements of the Accreditation System and must
be designed to ―develop effective teachers who meet the Graduate Teacher Standards‖ as defined
in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (ESA, 2018).
b. National Policies and Standards as bases for Teacher Education Programs

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The Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines, through the Department Order 42
series of 2017, adopted and implemented the new Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) in
response to the current demands in education such as the Kto12 Curriculum, Philippine
Qualifications Framework, ASEAN integration/Internationalization and the 21 st Century Skills
(D.O. 42, s 2017). As PPST becomes the new framework for teacher development, Higher
Education Institutions that offer teacher education programs are also mandated to embed these
Professional Standards in their curriculum. In the Philippines, the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) released Memorandum Orders 74 to 82 in 2017, otherwise known as the
Policies, Standards and Guidelines (PSGs) for Bachelor of Elementary and Secondary programs
aligned with the new Professional Standards. Although these PSGs are set to be the ―minimum
requirements‖ in the Philippine Teacher Education curriculum, TEIs across the country must
comply with these and integrate these ―requirements‖ in their curricula (CMO, 74 to 82, 2017).

Similarly, Thailand, Indonesia and Australia have Professional Standards for Teachers that
influence the structure of teacher education programs in their countries. The ASEAN countries
particularly Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines have their own standards for teachers which
are aligned with and respond to their country‘s Qualifications Frameworks (Thailand‘s Teacher
Qualification Standards from TCT; Teachers and Educational Personnel Council Act BE 2546
2003 and National Education Act BE 2542, 1999; Indonesia - Law No. 20/2003 – National
Education System, Law No. 14/2005 – New Teacher and Lecturer Law; Higher Education Act of
2012). In Australia, although decentralized, Initial Teacher Education program providers from
states and territories have to design their programs according to the Accreditation Standards and
Procedures and have these accredited by their respective teacher regulatory authorities (AITSL,
2017).

In Malaysia, the Teacher Education Division of the Ministry of Higher Education, with approval
from the ministry‘s Central Curriculum Committee and the Malaysian Qualification Agency
(which has been responsible for accrediting all higher education offerings since 2007), sets the
curriculum requirements for teacher education institutes (i.e., the former teacher colleges). The
Teacher Education Division also sets requirements for ongoing implementation of the goals of
two important documents—the National Philosophy of Education (formulated in 1988) and the
Philosophy of Teacher Education (formulated in 1982). The focus in these documents is on
national unity, national culture, science and technology, and individual development. The
National Education Philosophy and Teacher Education Philosophy are the guideposts for the
development of teachers up to par with world standard.

In Singapore, the new Model of Teacher Education for the 21st Century (TE 21) is established as
framework for teacher education (NIES, n.d.; Ming & Guan, 2016; Tan, Koh, Chan, Costes-
Onishi & Hung, 2017). The NIE‘s TE21 is a transformative effort that aims to ―guide the design,

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delivery and evaluation of NIE‘s programs in order to provide the best education to aspiring and
serving teachers to become 21st century teaching professionals‖ (NIES, n.d).

c. Types of Institutions offering Teacher Education

Almost all of the countries studied in this paper have a number of public or government, and
private institutions that offer teacher education programs. In the Philippines alone, a total of
2,586 teacher education institutions offer teacher education programs. This is comprised by
public schools (233), State Colleges and Universities (111), SUCs satellite (447), Local Colleges
(108), Special Higher Education (14), and private-run institutions (1,673) (TEC, 2018). In
Thailand, a total of 156 higher education institutions provide teacher education. Among this
number are 84 public higher education institutions consisting of 26 autonomous universities, 11
traditional universities, 38 Rajabhat Universities (formerly teacher training colleges), and 9
Rajamangala Universities of Technology, together with 72 private higher education institutions,
and Office of Community College Administration. In Australia, each jurisdiction provides Initial
Teacher Education programs accredited by their respective teacher regulatory authority through
universities and colleges. Across Australia, there are a total of 53 institutions.

Unlike other countries mentioned, only Singapore offers teacher education program through its
national institute – the National Institute of Education (NIE). NIE, as an autonomous institute of
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), is the only teacher education institution that provides
teacher education programs to aspiring teachers.

d. Program Delivery Type: Consecutive or Concurrent

All the teacher education programs of the countries selected and studied are concurrent except
for Indonesia which follows a consecutive delivery of teacher education program. Student-
teachers who finish a Bachelor‘s Degree in Education or in any field are still required to take the
Pendidikan Profesi Guru (Teacher Profession Education) program as a minimum requirement for
teaching in any educational level.

e. Program Offerings and Length of Study

The teacher education programs offered and its length of completion in most countries in this
study are mostly similar than not. In the Philippines, CHED released in 2017 through PSGs, nine
(9) outcome-based bachelor‘s degree programs on teacher education. These 4-year programs as
detailed in CMO 74 to 82 series of 2017 provide graduates qualifications to teach at either
Elementary (Kinder to Grade 6) or Secondary (Grade 7 to 12) (CMO, 74 to 82, 2017).

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Similar to the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia offer Bachelor‘s degree programs in
teacher education. They differ, however, on the length of study in which Thailand has 4 years
academic coursework plus 1 year internship. Malaysia has 3 years plus 1.5 years PPISMP or
Course for Bachelor of Teaching and 4 years plus 1.5 years DPLI or Postgraduate Teacher
Education Course for Bachelor in Education. Australia, having decentralized teacher education
system, recommends its ITE program providers to offer a 4-year or longer full-time equivalent
program(s) for a bachelor‘s degree. It gives them the leeway to design their own programs
following the recommended configurations (ESA, 2018).

Although bachelor‘s degree is also offered in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, what differs in
the programs they offer is the Diploma in Education. In Singapore, NIE offers a 2-3 years
Diploma in Education that qualifies teacher to teach in Primary or Secondary schools. However,
only the Bachelor of Education program is designed to provide primary school teachers
opportunity to achieve their goals of completing a degree. Malaysia offers a 5-year Diploma of
Education (Subject Areas) and a 3-year Malaysian Diploma of Teaching. In Indonesia and
Malaysia, on the other hand, recently upgraded the minimum qualification for teaching diploma
or undergraduate level to a Bachelor‘s Degree (4-year study) plus a 1-year teacher preparation
program.

f. Course Structure/Curriculum

The teacher education curriculum of the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand show great
similarities in terms of the cluster of courses they offer. Each country has four categories: (1)
General Education courses; (2) Professional Education courses; (3) Specialized courses which
include Practice Teaching and (4) Electives. However, they differ in the total number of credits
(minimum of 160 in Thailand; 133 in Malaysia) and the weight or percentage of subject
allocation in each of the four clusters. Further, Thailand is heavy on content, specifically put
more value in science content and subject-specific pedagogy, Malaysia differ largely on the
length of teaching practices (32 weeks) spread across the curriculum and the unique inclusion of
its Teacher Character Building or Bina Insan Guru (BIG) which aims to give an early exposure
of the ideal characteristics and qualities of teachers. Malaysia‘s BIG curriculum incorporates the
six domains: (1) Spiritual and teacher-values; (2) Knowledgeable and good deeds; (3)
Accountability and trustworthy; (4) High level of endurance; (5) Sense of freedom and might; (6)
Creative and innovative (Mubarak, n.d).

Unlike its other neighbouring countries with the same centralized teacher education system,
Singapore puts a strong emphasis on ―mastering both content and content pedagogy – with
academic subjects and curriculum studies courses not only aligned, but taken concurrently and
designed to be mutually reinforcing.‖ Moreover, the curriculum at NIE puts importance the
infusion of technology and implementation of project-based learning and collaboration in which

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student-teachers are demanded to take a course in ―Interactive Computer Technology for


meaningful learning‖ and ―must work collaboratively with peers to complete the Group
Endeavours in Service Learning Project‖.

The two decentralized countries in this study, Australia and Indonesia, follow a similar
composition of content in their teacher education programs. While teacher education program
providers of both countries are given the autonomy to design their programs according to their
own philosophies and values, the national governing body still recommends components to be
included in their programs. In Indonesia, common components to be present in all teacher
education programs are the following: (a) Pedagogical competence; (b) Personality competence;
(c) Social competence; and (d) Professional competence. These components are aligned with the
Indonesian Qualification Framework‘s (IQF‘s) required four general components to accomplish
which include (a) attitudes and values; (b) working competencies; (c) field knowledge; and (d)
managerial competencies. A sample course structure, specifically for Teacher Certification
Program – Diploma, that follows the recommended components from IQF has the following
composition and weight: (a) teaching skills, 10%; (b) teaching practices, 80%; (c) research skills,
5%; and (d) teachers character building, 5%.

In Australia, ITE program provider though given autonomy in their programs still have to submit
program designs to their respective teacher regulatory authority subject for national
accreditation. All primary undergraduate programs must consist of discipline and discipline-
specific subjects including the mandatory content requirements that comprise of: (a)
English/Literacy; (b) Mathematics/numeracy; and (c) Science. On the other hand, secondary
undergraduate programs must provide a ―sound depth and breadth of knowledge appropriate for
the teaching area(s)‖ which include (a) at least a major study in one teaching area, and (b)
preferably a second teaching area, which must comprise at least a minor study. In addition, these
programs must be comprised of a discipline-specific curriculum and pedagogical studies.

i. Practicum/Internship Duration

In the Philippines, CHED and DepEd released a joint order in 2006 pertinent to the deployment
of pre-service teachers on experiential learning: field study and practice teaching. The
Experiential Learning Courses (ELCs) aims to provide student teachers with ―actual learning
experiences in which they can observe, verify, reflect on and practice the different components
of teaching‖ (D.O. 3, s. 2007). The ELC is usually designed to be undertaken on the culminating
year of the Bachelor in Elementary and Secondary Education programs. As it exposes student
teachers to the ―authentic environment‖ of teaching, in return ―it provides schools with
competent teachers steeped in both theory and practice‖ (D.O. 3, s. 2007). TEIs in the
Philippines have common practice teaching program as discussed in the new PSGs that CHED
mandates TEIs to implement (Balagtas, et.al, 2016). Most of the TEIs‘ practice teaching program

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has three phases: pre-deployment, deployment and post-deployment phases. The pre-deployment
includes the orientations done before student teachers are assigned to a cooperating school. The
deployment phase pertains to student teachers‘ actual practice teaching experience in a
cooperating school. In this phase, cooperating school and cooperating teachers are encouraged to
provide student teachers ―real life teaching experience‖ to develop their professional competence
towards becoming effective teachers. Likewise, cooperating teachers or critic teachers are
expected to supervise and mentor their assigned student teacher guiding them in the development
of their professional competencies, attitudes and behaviors. Lastly, in the post-deployment phase,
practice teachers are evaluated on their performance during deployment.

In Singapore, NIE has partnered with schools which are identified as excellent partners for
clinical practice. The school-university collaboration is strong that it encourages ―shared
decision-making‖ about student-teachers, and provides ―opportunities for teachers to serve at
NIE and for NIE faculty to serve in schools through ‗school attachment‘ opportunity‖ (NIES,
n.d.). Clinical practice at NIE encourages student-teachers to spend more time in their partner
schools. NIE put much attention to this practice and to the quality of in-school experience. The
practicum in NIE is spread throughout the entire BA/BSc (Ed) programme and is developmental
in nature: (a) School Experience, 2 weeks; (b) Teaching Assistantship (TA), 5 weeks; (c)
Teaching Practice 1, 5 weeks; and (d) Teaching Practice 2, 10 weeks.

In Thailand, an 18-week long internship is required across the teacher education program
providers. This internship is equivalent to 2 semesters of one whole year practicum. In Malaysia
IPGs, a total of 32 weeks spread across the curriculum is allotted for teaching practices and a
month-long internship. Even though the percentage of Practicum and Professional Practice stated
in the Academic Manual as 11% but the time allocated is equivalent to 25% of the whole
components of the curriculum since Teacher [Character Building] program is an accumulated
program and is considered as 3 hour credits only (Mubarak, n.d.).

Unlike the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, teacher education institutions in Indonesia and
Australia have varied practicum duration in their programs. In Indonesia, although practicum
design varies among teacher education institutions, duration of practice teaching is mostly one
year while in Australia, ITEs should still design their practice teaching in no fewer than 80 days
for undergraduate and double-degree teacher education programs and no fewer than 60 days in
graduate-entry programs.

g. Professional Licensing/ Certification

Among the countries studied, only the Philippines has licensure examination for teachers to be
able to teach in public schools and be called a ―professional teacher‖. In 1994, Republic Act No.
7836 otherwise known as the "Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994" was signed

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into law that requires all applicants for professional teachers to "undergo a written examination
which shall be given at least once a year". Before any person is allowed to practice as a
professional teacher in the Philippines, a valid certificate of registration and professional license
should be obtained from the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC).

In Thailand, through the enforcement of the Teachers and Educational Personnel Council Act
B.E. 2546, all teachers, educational institution administrators, educational administrators and
other educational personnel must have a license to practice the profession. Under this act, The
Khurusapha Teachers Council of Thailand was established to be responsible for the issuance and
withdrawal of licenses; setting professional standards; overseeing maintenance of professional
standards and ethics; and development of the profession of teachers and educational
administrators. Those practicing the profession before the legislation took effect, are given the
right to apply for a license to practice. The Council is under the strict supervision of the Ministry
of Education (BE 2546/2003).

Indonesia does not have licensing examination for teachers but instead have a system for teacher
certification program. The Indonesian government started the Teacher Certification Program in
2007, a portfolio examination teacher candidates or existing teachers must pass in order to be
―certified teachers‖. This certification program requires teachers to meet certain criteria
including academic qualification, teaching experience, qualification-subject matching, and
teaching workload (Trianto & Tutik, 2007). Successful examinees now be ―certified teachers‖
and will receive additional incentive through increase in salary funded by the government.

Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia do not have licensing examination for teachers to be
qualified to teach in public schools. In order to be qualified to teach in a public school in
Singapore, teacher applicant should have undergone trainings from NIE as required by the
Ministry of Education (MOE). In Malaysia, the education system is regulated such that teachers
need to have an education certificate or higher in order to be appointed as a teacher under the
Malaysian Civil Service (Salleh et al., 2014). In Australia, no licensing examination is required
for an ITE graduate to be a registered teacher in primary and/or secondary schools. After
completing the bachelor‘s degree in an accredited ITE provider, a teacher is initially granted
provisional registration which indicates that he or she meets the Graduate career stage of the
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Full registration is granted to teachers when the
Proficient career stage of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and all other
requirements for teacher registration have been achieved. Teachers have to demonstrate
achievement through providing evidence mapped with the Proficient career stage Teacher
Standards. Each state or territory regulation authority is responsible for supporting teachers
achieve the Proficient career stage as well as granting full registration to teachers.

h. National Teacher Education Institutions

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All the ASEAN countries studied in this paper have designated National Center for Teacher
Education respectively. In June 2009, the Philippines designated the Philippine Normal
University as the country's national center for Teacher Education through the passage of RA
9647 also known as the "Philippine Normal University Modernization Act of 2009". PNU, as the
National Center for Teacher Education, shall "provide technical support to DepEd and CHED in
their programs and projects, build and develop a database of education policies to serve as a
resource to the country's policymakers; conduct researches, case studies and other appropriate
methodologies to enhance curriculum and training designs; and provide assistance to legislators
in the design and analysis of legislative proposal affecting teacher education‖ (RA 9647).

In Singapore, the National Institute of Education (NIE) is the country‘s national teacher
education institute responsible for preparing pre-service teachers to teach in primary and
secondary schools and even providing teacher professional and school leadership development
programs to in-service teachers.

In Malaysia, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris or Sultan Idris University - university of


education has been entrusted to produce the bulk of the teachers needed for secondary schools
while the Institutes Pendidikan Guru (IPGs) for primary school teachers which are now classified
as universities. In Indonesia, Lembaga Pendidikan Tenaga Kependidikan – Teacher Training
Institutes, now universities, are the centers for teacher education in the country. In Thailand, it is
Rajabhat Universities in which Chulalongkorn is the top education university.

III. Comparison of Teacher Education Programs

In a comparison of teacher education programs across selected countries, similarities emerge


more than major differences. All countries have at one point or the other instituted changes in
policy or programs to help improve the quality of teacher education. All employ a policy-making
body leading the way towards improving the state of education. Moreover, the institution of
policies, teacher academies, and quality standards indicate that each country places great
importance to the value of education for uplifting the state of their respective countries in
general. Refer to Table 1 (Appendix A) for the summary of the comparison of Teacher Education
programs across selected countries.

IV. Best Practices from the Teacher Education Programs

a. Program Content and Structure focused on Content and Pedagogy


Teacher trainings in all the countries selected in this study emphasize the importance of its
teachers having a strong knowledge in both content and pedagogy. Most of the ASEAN
countries including the Philippines stretched its teacher education program into 4 to 5 years in

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total with focus on the general education, professional education and specialization. But what
varies among these countries is the strategic distribution of the content throughout the program
period. In Singapore, clinical practice at NIE encourages student-teachers to spend more time in
their partner schools. Spending ―more time‖ means student-teachers are already in the field on
their second year in the program. This clinical practice is developmental in nature spread
throughout the entire BA/BSc (Ed) program with a total of 22 weeks.

b. Accreditation System as Means for Evaluating Teacher Education Programs


In Australia, a national accreditation system is established to ensure that ITE program providers
design teacher education programs aligned with the demands of the Australian Professional
Standards for Teachers at the Graduate career stage. It believes that the accreditation system as a
quality assurance of teacher education programs is important "to ensure every program is
preparing classroom ready teachers with the skills they need to make a positive impact on school
student learning" (ATSL, 2018). The national accreditation has two stages: stage one applies to
new programs entering the accreditation system for the first time and focuses on a provider's plan
for demonstrating impact; while stage two focuses on evidence of outcome and continuous
improvement.

c. Mechanisms for Selecting Teachers for Teacher Education Program


In the analysis of top performing schools in the world, McKinsey (2007) found out that countries
with top-performing school systems are able to attract "more able people" into the teaching
profession by making the entry to teacher training highly selective. Singapore, for example, has a
system-wide recruitment and selection of students for teacher education training through the
Ministry of Education and National Institute for Education (McKinsey, 2007). They calculate the
number of teachers it will need and only open that number of slots for teacher training (NCEE,
2018). Moreover, they only select the top third of high school graduates. It believes that a bad
selection decision can result in up to 40 years of poor teaching. It puts a strong emphasis on the
academic achievement of candidates, their communication skills, and their motivation for
teaching (NCEE, 2018).

d. Teacher Certification Programs for Professionalization of Teachers


Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia do not have licensure examination for teachers to
be qualified to teach in their public schools. Teacher education institutions in these countries are
expected to produce graduates who meet the qualifications of a professional teacher and are
ready to teach in the classrooms. In Singapore, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has a strong
partnership with the National Institute for Education (NIE) on ensuring that the graduates NIE
produces are what the schools really need. In Australia and Indonesia, graduates have to show
evidence of their achievement of the qualifications for teachers through showcasing relevant and
quality evidences in their portfolio.

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V. Conclusion and Recommendations

According to Mckinsey report in 2007, there are three things that matter most in top school
systems: (1) Getting the right people to become teachers; (2) Developing them into effective
instructors; and (3) Ensuring that the system is able to deliver the best possible instruction for
every child. With the ambition to improve the quality of the education system comes a domino-
effect and seamless reform and enhancement in the entire system - from the initial preparation of
teachers to teach through the teacher education institutions, teacher entry into the profession,
teacher professional development, up to the teacher exit from the profession.

With a focus on improving the teacher education system in the Philippines and considering the
best practices from the selected countries in the world, the following possible reform initiatives
may be recommended:

● Strengthen the standardized national teacher education programs


In the Philippines, there is already a developed and established national teacher education
program that is standardized across the country through CHED Memorandum Order 74 to 82 s,
2017. However, CHED has to ensure that the minimum requirements of program structure for
TEIs are relevant, updated and aligned with the Philippine education foci and standards for
professional teachers.

● Revisit the Experiential Learning Field Study and Practice Teaching Framework
With the new demands in the Philippine education system such as the shift of the basic education
into K to 12 curriculum, Philippine Qualifications Framework, ASEAN integration/
internationalization and the 21st century skills, there is an imperative need to revisit the
applicability and relevance of the Experiential Learning Field Study and Practice Teaching
Framework in the present situation. Because the framework was developed on 2003 where these
new demands in education are not yet in place, features and practices may not be anymore
responsive and effective.

● Align the evaluation mechanism of teacher education programs with the


professional standards for teachers
Learning from Australia, the Philippines should conduct an evaluation of its teacher education
programs and align the evaluation mechanism with the expectations for teacher education
graduates as stated in the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers under Beginning career
stage. CHED and TEC should review its teacher education programs evaluation policies and
mechanism to quality assure that the planned outcomes and impact in the implemented teacher
education programs are achieved. Gaps that could arise from the evaluation may be used as bases
for further development, revision and enhancement of the program.

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● Raise the qualifications in selection of teacher education students


While teaching is not an easy job in which anyone can just become one, still thousands of new
teachers in the Philippines graduate each year from colleges and universities offering teacher
education programs. Questions now arise on whether these thousands of graduates are really cut
off for teaching, or not. What the Philippines can learn from its neighbouring countries is the
practice of screening the qualified, passionate and aspiring teachers before selection for the
program. CHED and TEC could revisit policies on selection of students and raise the
qualifications based on the expected characteristics of a teacher education student.

● Review licensing system of teachers in the Philippines


The Philippines might consider to review its licensing system for teachers that instead of
requiring graduates to take pen-and-paper licensure examination to be qualified to teach in public
school, graduates have to demonstrate achievement of the Philippine Professional Standards for
Beginning Teachers through showcasing their portfolio of evidences.

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VI. References

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Balagtas, M.V., Calapardo, R.A. & Dacanay, A.G. (2016). Analysis of the student teaching
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Baylan, S.L. (2018). Trend of performance in board licensure examination for professional
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Learning Field Study and Practice Teaching

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Education Services Australia (2011). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. Carlton
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Education Services Australia (September 2018). Accreditation of initial teacher education


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Fahriany, F. (2014). Teacher Education in Indonesia (An Account on the Development and
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