Adults participate in many formal learning activities throughout their lives. The aim of this study is to determine the views of adult learners who participated the Certificate Program for Pedagogical Formation (CPPF), which is a formal adult education program. This study was conducted with the phenomenological design, a qualitative research…

Created by partnerships of educator preparation programs, school districts, and community-based organizations, grow-your-own programs recruit, prepare, and place community members as teachers. They typically recruit and prepare high school students, school classified staff (e.g., paraeducators, afterschool workers, bus drivers), career changers,…

The first years of teaching are extremely challenging as novices simultaneously teach and learn to teach. Research suggests relationships play a meaningful role in helping novices access support and feel supported as they navigate "problems of practice," enduring issues that teachers must manage to effectively teach and facilitate their…

School-Based agricultural education increasingly depends upon alternatively certified (AC) teachers to teach agriculture across the United States. Understanding why these individuals become teachers is an important step to better recruit and retain educators who do not complete traditional preparation programs. The purpose of our study was to…

Texas reduced new teacher preparation requirements in 2001 to allow more alternate paths to licensure. Within 5 years, this policy change resulted in more than half of the state's new teachers being alternatively licensed. Using a series of first difference models, this study examines the relationship between the increased supply of new teachers…

The critical shortage of qualified teachers in hard to staff urban schools has been a persistent issue in the U.S. for decades. Teachers and researchers have pointed to the inadequacy of teacher preparation programs to prepare teacher candidates to address the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students and special education students…

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…

In the United States, there exists a chronic shortage of qualified special education teachers to provide instructional services to students with disabilities. One policy solution developed to increase the number of qualified teachers is alternative routes (ARs), which are broadly defined as nontraditional and accelerated preparation paths to…

Michigan's alternative-route certification option allows candidates to complete an expedited teacher preparation program while simultaneously working as a teacher of record under an Interim Teaching Certificate (ITC). This brief examines how the use of ITCs in Michigan has evolved as alternative-route TPPs expanded throughout the state. We combine…

This article highlights the capacity of both neoliberal discourse and Teach for America (TFA) in shaping how emergent TFA teachers frame teaching with regard to occupational esteem, occupational status, and occupational prestige. Relevant literature explores the evolution of teaching and teacher preparation in light of neoliberalism, and the…

Research has shown that students of color benefit from having teachers who share their racial background. The paraprofessionals and education assistants currently working in schools represent one potential source of such teachers. Many of them are committed to schools and students but need support to obtain a teaching license. Laura Delgado,…

Alternative teacher education programmes associated with the Teach For All network are emerging worldwide. Largely inspired by Teach For America, these programmes draw on the meritocratic vision that 'one day' all children will receive a high-quality education and fulfil their potential. This paper questions the underlying ideology of meritocracy…

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…

Colleges and universities are trusted with the responsibility of preparing the professionals of tomorrow. However, the number of individuals seeking a profession in education has been on a steady decline over the past 4 decades (King, 2018). This deterioration of education graduates has exacerbated the issue of poor teacher retention, leading to…