תכניות ייחודיות להכשרת אקדמאים להוראה: פרופיל אישי, אקדמי ותעסוקתי של מועמדים ושל סטודנטים

In 2009 the Kibbutzim College of Education inaugurated three unique programs for preparing academics for teaching that are different from the traditional model of programs intended for academics. When these programs were publicized, hundreds of candidates applied to the college. They all underwent a structured and rigorous selection procedure, at the end of which some thirty students were selected for each program. The research described in this article examined the personal, academic and employment profile of the candidates and the students in the traditional programs for the preparation of academics for teaching. The research findings indicate that the alternative programs in the teacher education institutions attract a larger number of candidates and students with a different personal, academic and employment profile from the one that characterizes the academics who apply for the traditional programs. In the light of findings of the studies on alternative teacher education programs worldwide, it is necessary to follow up the integration of the graduates of the program into the education system: length of time they remain in the system, extent of their success in their jobs as teachers, and how many of them go on to assume senior posts.