Teacher education reforms worldwide have reinforced a narrative that 'high-quality' teaching and teachers are the most significant contributors to raising education achievement, reducing societal inequities, and boosting economic development. Consequently, countries have put substantial efforts into regulating initial teacher education (ITE) to…

This research investigated the impact of teacher certification pathways (traditional vs. alternative) on teacher self-efficacy levels; it explicitly focused on elementary teachers in Title I and non-Title I schools. The research context addressed the prevalent issue of teacher shortages in U.S. school districts, which often led to reliance on…

Teacher preparation programs are institutions where future teachers acquire the pedagogical content knowledge needed to deliver quality instruction that promotes student achievement. Teacher preparation is the best-determining factor for student achievement. As of 2018-2019, there were 2,172 teacher preparation providers: 1,453 traditional and 495…

The current study took place in a North Texas public school district. The purpose was to compare levels of teacher self-efficacy among beginning teachers who had participated in traditional and alternative teacher educator preparation programs (EPPs). Additionally, the perceptions of beginning teachers were explored in relation to their…

Numerous techniques and methods are used in School-Based Agricultural Education. These techniques are vital to the goal of educating a diverse and expansive population that exist within secondary agricultural science courses. Agricultural educators, both traditionally and alternatively certified, know and understand the value of using multiple…

Most states responded to the onset of the pandemic by temporarily granting teachers Emergency licenses. These licenses allowed teachers to work in classrooms without passing the typical licensure exams. Since then, several states have extended their use of Emergency licenses, raising questions about how these policies impact the composition of the…

This study sought to determine whether a significant difference exists in the efficacy of teachers who received a traditional licensure versus those who received alternative licensure in their first three years of teaching. Additionally, the research aimed to determine if there was a significant difference in student growth based upon teacher…

This study addresses the burgeoning phenomenon of fully online alternative teacher certification programs (ACPs). In Texas where most teachers are prepared via ACPs, our research zeroes in on the proportion of teachers who are prepared fully online and the relative effectiveness of teacher preparation programs on student achievement and teacher…

The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to assess if and to what extent differences exist in traditionally and alternatively certified STEM teachers' perceived teacher collaboration and teacher self-efficacy, among teachers in Texas. The sample consisted of 202 participants (Alternative n = 202; Traditional n = 89). Results from…

When there are teacher shortages, emergency certification allows individuals with a bachelor's degree to enter the profession without having undergone formal education training or preservice preparation. Despite its widespread use in the United States, emergency certification is a poorly understood human resource process. Little is known about how…

As administrators start to hire more alternative certified teachers in Texas who pursue a career in K-12 education, it becomes important to understand the impact this experience has on teacher quality. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore administrators' beliefs and experiences when hiring alternative certified…

Teach For America (TFA), a prominent alternative teacher certification program, has evolved substantially since it began in 1989. However, most studies ignore this potential variation when evaluating TFA's effects on student outcomes. Using 12 years of administrative data, I test whether TFA's effects on achievement differ over time, focusing on a…

Since its founding 34 years ago, Teach For America has prepared nearly 70,000 recent college graduates and career-changers to teach in high-poverty schools across the United States. Unlike traditional teacher-preparation programs, it places "corps members" in short-staffed public schools after an intensive summer seminar, before they are…

Schools across the nation faced a teacher shortage, and North Carolina was no exception. North Carolina leaders used alternatively licensed teachers to fill vacancies. The purpose of this qualitative, interpretive study was to compare beginning alternatively licensed teachers' perceptions to principals' perceptions of the needed and implemented…

While historically aligned to skilled labor and trades, and unlike many European nations, apprenticeship models in the United States have long existed outside the realm of university teacher preparation programs and other professions requiring four-year degrees. With threats of increasing childcare options, teacher shortages and difficulty in…