PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

PIRLS 2006 EncyclopediaSince 2003, an induction year has been added as a new requirement for obtaining theteaching license. 13Teacher education at colleges of education takes place at more than 50 institutions, bothsecular and religious, of which only 27 are academic colleges. Teacher education in collegesfollows the concurrent model, which combines disciplinary and pedagogical contents. Thethree possible routes of study in teacher education colleges are described below.• Regular academic studies: A 4-year program (110–115 hours annually), whichgrants a bachelor’s degree in education, including a 1-year induction program.This program follows the guidelines of the Commission of Higher Education.• Retraining programs for university graduates: A 1- or 2-year course with anadditional induction year, intended for university graduates in various disciplineswho wish to acquire a teaching certificate from a teachers college.• Regular non-academic studies: A 2- or 3-year program for certified teachers andadvanced-certified teachers, currently operating only in the ultra-orthodox colleges.In 2006, a new outline for teacher education programs was proposed for universitiesand colleges of education. According to these guidelines, the basic pedagogical componentin the program extends over 24–30 hours annually and contains education studies,research methodology, and pedagogical studies, including a supervised practicum. Thiscomponent complements 60 hours per year of disciplinary studies, taught either as part ofuniversity undergraduate studies or in a concurrent model at the colleges of education.Since 2000, a new license for all levels of education has been required both fromuniversity graduates and teachers college graduates. The prerequisite for obtaining thislicense is having a teaching certificate, an academic degree, and the successful completionof the induction year. This induction year is defined as the first year of a teacher’s workin the profession. Teachers are required to work under the supervision of a mentor,for at least a third of a full teaching position, for at least 6 months. During this period,teachers are regarded as advanced certified teachers, and they gain credit for 1 year ofteaching experience.Teacher In-service EducationThe organizational bodies responsible for in-service training are located primarily atinstitutions of higher education, universities, and teachers’ colleges, and some are locatedin special in-service teacher centers created for this purpose. All in-service trainingcourses currently offer teachers credits that translate into salary increases. One credit unitequals about 112 hours of study, and the maximum credits a teacher can gain is 24.75.There are four types of in-service frameworks:Israel• Group in-service training intended to facilitate policy implementation, plannedand organized by the Ministry of Education;• Task-oriented in-service training, also initiated by the Ministry of Education, whichprepares staff for certain functions (e.g., principals, coordinators, and leaders);208