Research Question
Education in Ontario has undergone much change over the past 40
years, responding to and attempting to resolve conflicts by reaching future generations. The
question is which issues were the main focus during this hotbed of change in education? And
more interestingly, how did the issues translate into curriculum for teacher candidates?
Certainly there is a correlation between the political agenda for change and the way teachers
were trained to educate.
Introduction
Educators have a significant influence over the shaping of the economic, social and
political landscapes. In recognition of this fact, the faculties of education that train these
teachers deliberately focus on contemporary issues of policy, crisis, and social pressures to
ensure these situations are remedied with future generations. These changes in teacher
education ensure that teachers can better prepare their students to adapt and create positive
changes to their own communities and the world at large. In Ontario, throughout the 1970s
and continuing to present day, the model for teacher education began to change in response
to a broadening Canadian multicultural demographic and a fluctuating economy. An increasingly competitive workforce and a growing diversity amongst the student population
led to a shift in the academic content and practical experience of Bachelor of Education
programs throughout Ontario to not only increase career prospects for teacher candidates,
but so that these future educators could prepare their own students for this shrinking job
market and an increasingly diverse Canadian culture.
——— Read Full Text Below ———
