INTRODUCTION

This chapter addresses the topic of standards in second language teacher education. It is concerned with how standards might be designed and implemented as one strategy for improving language teacher education. In the chapter we will define different kinds of standards, examine their applications to various audiences and educational levels, and provide examples of several different standards projects. We will also consider some of the key issues and future directions of the standards movement.

The three boxes above contain standards for English teachers. They are drawn from a domain called Planning and Management of Learning, which deals with one aspect of a teacher’s job, namely classroom instruction. These three standards could probably apply, perhaps with a change in wording here and there, to English teachers in almost any setting in the world since all teachers must set up and deliver appropriate learning experiences in order to achieve instructional objectives. In fact, these standards are just three of 18 standards developed for English teachers in Egypt. Taken together they provide a road map that Egyptian teachers can use to develop professionally (Developing Educational Standards in Egypt, undated).

SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS

What are standards? Standards may be described as tools that can be used to improve outcomes. The kind of outcomes desired depends on the goals for improvement – whether they target teachers, teacher trainers, educational leaders, students, programs, and so on. The major benefit of standards is that they set out clear expectations for all involved in the educational enterprise, including the public. They provide a “common language” for talking about the process of teaching and learning (Harris and Carr 1996). For teachers and administrators, they provide guidelines for designing instruction, curricula, and assessment. They also set criteria for program excellence and, perhaps, for promotion and career advancement. For teacher educators, they set out the competencies needed by prospective teachers as they prepare for teaching careers. For students, they set clear performance expectations, assisting them to understand what they should know and be able to do to meet standards.

Over the past decade, standards have become the lynchpin of educational systems both in English-medium countries and in a growing number of other countries around the world.