Traditional versus Integrated Preservice Teacher Education Curriculum

Abstract

This empirical study is intended to assess whether a standards-based integrated teacher preparation curriculum is more beneficial in developing professional competencies than a traditional course-oriented curriculum at a college of education in a state university. Using multivariate analysis of variance, we found that students who went through the new integrated curriculum reported higher levels of professional preparation in all 13 standards and competency areas than those who went through the traditional course-oriented curriculum. This finding remained strong even when the teaching majors were included and controlled as another factor variable. Students in the integrated curriculum and those in the traditional curriculum had comparable characteristics, high school grade point averages (GPAs), and college GPAs. Additional related findings and suggestions for future studies also emerged.