Question 1
Alternative licensure has become an important topic in the preparation of teachers. Explain the arguments supporting and criticizing alternative licensure.Question 2
Describe action research. Then, identify and illustrate four steps that teachers should take in planning and conducting action research activities.Answer 1
Proponents of alternative licensure argue that alternative licensure teacher candidates are generally more capable that their traditional counterparts, and they're often older and have had more life experiences. They're more focused on learning to teach, and they're more academically talented than are traditional undergraduates. They also argue that, because these programs are shorter, they can attract minorities and talented and experienced people to the profession in areas of critical need, such as math and science. Critics of alternative licensure counter that graduates of alternative licensure programs receive limited training in pedagogy, the intensive mentoring that is supposed to compensate for the lack of formal coursework rarely exists, alternative licensure graduates are disproportionately assigned to the most demanding teaching situations, such as inner-city schools, and they drop out of teaching at three times the rate of beginning teachers from traditional programs.Answer 2
Action research is a form of applied research that is designed to answer a specific school- or classroom-related question. It typically includes the following steps: 1) identify and diagnose a problem that is important to you; 2) systematically plan and conduct a research study; 3) implement the findings to solve or improve a local problem; and 4) use the results of the study to generate additional research.