Centers for Teacher Education undergoing transition

Centers for Teacher Education undergoing transition

The MOE this year announced the results of the 2006 Evaluation of Centers for Teacher Education. The nine schools that qualified for the A list are National Taiwan College of Physical Education, National College of Physical Education and Sports, National Chiayi University, National Kaohsiung Hospitality College, National Chung Cheng University, Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages, Southern Taiwan University of Technology, National Kaohsiung Normal University, and Providence University.

Providence University develops volunteer spirit

"Helping the minority students has been Providence University's core principle," said Ching-ching Jeng, the director of the Center for Teacher Education in Providence University.
Unlike other centers for teacher education that have only five full-time professors, Providence University's teacher education center has nine, and they all have doctorate degrees and abundant teaching experience in junior high or elementary schools.

Wenzao focuses on language teaching

The Center for Teacher Education at Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages strengthens students' English ability and expects them to teach based on the principle of "educating the total person" rather than just imparting academic knowledge.
Moreover, Wenzao breaks with normal schools' tradition by encouraging its students to also teach in cram schools, thereby helping improve the English ability of Taiwan students.
 
Regulations being revised

The regulations on teacher education centers are now being amended to mandate that universities with teacher education centers have education related departments as well. Those that don't might have their teacher education centers closed down.

To deal with this new rule, Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages has applied with the Ministry of Education to establish masters programs in foreign language teaching development. But Ming-kao Dai, director of the Center for Teacher Education at Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages, said that the MOE would need to define "educational department" and the necessity for establishing one.

Jeng holds a different view. She said that establishing a graduate school could offer teachers research resources that could encourage them to improve their teaching skills. Moreover, a graduate school would raise the professors' research abilities, strengthening the entire teacher education system.