Six Dilemmas in Teacher Education

Abstract

The major issues of concern to those who have a stake in the preparation of teachers are discussed in terms of a set of six dilemmas: coverage versus mastery; evaluative versus affective emphases; emphasis on current versus future needs of candidates; thematic versus eclectic approaches; emphasis on current practice versus innovative practice; and specific versus global assessment criteria. These dilemmas are endemic to teacher education and may account for both the dissatisfaction with teacher education and the low level of impact attributed to it.