Why do many beginning teachers not cope with the reality of schools? Why do beginning teachers often revert to conventional teaching methods when they hit the classroom? Why do 30% of new teachers leave in the first five years? At the beginning of the 21st century we need a better way of educating preservice students by using a program design that mirrors how to best learn about teaching and portrays it as a complex profession. This book does not promote one particular teacher education design, but rather how to think about it. Key to such thinking is considering teacher education design as a combination of links, not independent elements to promote quality learning by preservice teachers. The four key links considered in this book include conceptual links across the university curriculum, theory-practice links between school and university settings, social-cultural links amongst the participants and personal links that shape the identity of teacher educators. Collectively, these are the missing links of teacher education design.
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