The Curriculum Of Initial Teacher Education In Canada

Teacher is the key factor to education development and equality. Curriculum is the carrier to carry out the education ideas and to achieve education ideal. Curriculum is the crucial to realize training objectives in the development of teacher education, and is also the direct factor influencing the teachers’ professional development. Under the background of universitization of teacher education and teacher professionalization, curriculum of initial teacher education in Canada has formed a scientific and normative system through many reforms and improvement. Based on the current status of initial teacher education curriculum in Ontario, this dissertation mainly analyses the curriculum types, curriculum structure and content to provide revision and reference for the reform and improvement of teacher education curriculum in China.Specifically, the curriculum of initial teacher education in Canada has mainly experienced three stages, namely:period of primary development, period of transition and period of perfecting. During different historical periods, curriculum of initial teacher education presents different features. Currently, the curriculum of initial teacher education in Canada mainly bases on the objective demand of social development, the development of basic education and teacher education professional standards.The basic structure of the initial teacher education curriculum in Ontario includes three aspects, namely:the basic types of curriculum, curriculum structural relationship and main content. It has two kinds of curriculum models, that is, concurrent model and consecutive model. Each curriculum model has different curriculum structure.The curriculum content mainly includes the basic theory of education courses, teaching method curses and practicum courses. For more than a century, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) has become a comprehensive institutions in teaching, learning and education research. And its curriculum of initial teacher education possesses the characteristics of generality and distinction.Meanwhile, in the process of promoting teachers’professional development, curriculum of initial teacher education in Ontario presents significant features, mainly including:open nature of diversified curriculum types, integrated nature of scientific and balanced curriculum structure, pluralism nature of curriculum content integrating theory with practice, high efficiency of long time practicum, diversity nature of learner-centered teaching forms, standardization and flexibility nature of curriculum based on standards and faculty autonomy.Through obvious adjustment and reform, curriculum of initial teacher education in China has obtained certain achievements since the 21st century. However, there still exists a certain gap comparing with developed countries. The experience of initial teacher education curriculum and teacher education reform may provide some enlightenment and reference for the reform and improvement of teacher education curriculum in China. Through the research of the curriculum of initial teacher education in Ontario, suggestions can be set up as followed:Providing Multi-channel cultivation model and standardizing the system of teacher certification, optimizing curriculum structure and laying emphasis on the integration between courses, reforming of the curriculum content and developing an advanced education idea, strengthening the practicum and improving its efficiency, establishing the guarantee system of teacher education curriculum and improving its standardability, enriching teaching forms and establishing the partnerships between universities and schools.