Quality Assurance in Palestine’s Teacher Education Programs: Lessons for Faculty and Program Leadership

Abdallah Bsharat¹ and Refa’ Rmahi^1,

¹Curriculum and Instruction Department, Birzeit University, Ramallah, West Bank

Cite this paper:
Abdallah Bsharat and Refa’ Rmahi. Quality Assurance in Palestine’s Teacher Education Programs: Lessons for Faculty and Program Leadership. American Journal of Educational Research. 2016; 4(2A):30-36. doi: 10.12691/education-4-2A-5

Abstract

This study aims at assessing dimensions of quality in pre-service teacher education programs in Palestine from the perspective of a purposeful sample of teacher educators and student-teachers at three universities. To achieve this goal, in-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted. Results suggest that intended learning outcomes of the curriculum, the teaching and learning processes and practices, and the mechanisms for both supporting and assessing students’ progress and achievement did not reach levels of quality aimed at in the missions of the programs. The study offers recommendations for improvement in three areas of Palestine’s teacher education programs: the quality of instruction; the quality of learning opportunities for both student-teachers and the teacher educators who teach them; and, the quality of academic leadership from the administration.

Keywords:
teacher education programs quality assurance

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