JOURNAL OF EDUCATION
Year:2019 | Volume:35 | Issue:2 (138) |Papers Count:9

The historical facts imbedded in the century-old Iranian experience in teacher training reveal two different and coexisting approaches. One is a university-based four-year program aiming at training high school teachers, while the other is a two-year program administered by the Ministry of Education aiming at training elementary/guidance school teachers. The first is focused on establishing few comprehensive institutions, but the other emphasizes establishment of numerous, yet limited, centers engaged in situational practices based on “ contentment” and “ generosity” . Within the final forty years of implementing these two approaches, the main achievements are claimed to be “ teaching based on contemporary knowledge” and “ maintaining the standards of higher education” by the first, and “ speedy response to the risen needs” and “ practical teaching within the real school environment” by the second. Such claims caused the proponents of each approach to add features of the other approach to their own domain of governance, and hence, preparing the grounds for the unification of the two approaches within the charter of Farhangiyan University by the end of last decade, wherein all the century-old shortcomings and conflicts of the two approaches are apparent, setting up, be it just in the name, a “ university” for teacher training.

A perusal of the documents on the history of education in Iran reveals that the official starting point in teacher training goes back to the establishment of Central Daarolmo’ allemin a hundred years ago. Over the course of this period, with the numerous structural changes in the Ministry of Education, this center has gradually changed structurally in order to meet the needs and the socio-political conditions of the time. Historical analyses of these changes are all indicative of widespread disarray and confusion, rather than cohesion and continuity. This trend continued up to the current decade when all the establishments tasked with the teaching of future teachers were integrated into one institution, named “ Farhangiyan University” . However, this compilation has led to a wrong perception of its task as the continuation of work previously done by Teacher Training University, Daaneshsaraaye Aali, University of Tehran, and Daarolmo’ allemin. Documents available at the Islamic Parliament Research Center clearly show the discontinuity that has existed over the past one hundred years in teacher training programs and institutions. To overlook the disarray could lead to misguidance and divergence. An evaluation of the two-year programs in teacher training over the past one hundred years could also yield lessons to be learned in order to improve Farhangiyan University’ s functionality.

Theoretically, internship programs can utilize any one of the three known approaches: craft model, applied science model, and reflective model. The purpose of the current paper has been to show the developmental path of approaches to internship during the century-old history of Iranian teacher training programs. Perusal of the available documents reveals that initially the apprenticeship approach has been used for up to 70 years. Then the applied science approach is utilized, ever so inadequately. The use of the reflective approach is the hallmark of the Farhangiyan University charter, adopted since 2013. However, the data collected herein show that the present approach suffers from the lack of much characteristics expected from the reflective approach.

The history of formal education in Iran shows that teacher training, in its contemporary meaning, started in 1918 when the first center for training male teachers (Daarolmo’ allemin) along with Daarolmo’ allemaat for female teachers was established. During the past one hundred years tremendous changes have taken place in terms of structure, curriculum, and regulations. According to the available documents 42 different training centers have existed over this period in order to provide well-trained elementary and high school teachers, counselors, and principals. Apparently with any ministerial change taking place, these teacher training centers have also changed, shut down, or consolidated. Based on these documents, the history of teacher training in Iran can be laid out in six divisions including one on the significance of teaching and teacher training, and other ones on teacher training background, the genesis of teacher training, studies and approaches, teacher training in Fundamental Reform Document of Education (FRDE), and opportunities, threats, and outlooks.

The Iranian educational system has been facing, not only a shortage of techno-vocational teachers across all such schools and over the past one hundred years, but inadequacies in the qualities of those who have served in this sector. An analysis of the existing documents, undertaken herein, could reveal the methods by which such teachers are trained as the main culprit. Ever since the establishment of Daarolfonoon three approaches have been utilized in technical-vocational training: apprenticeship, hiring of teachers from abroad or sending teaching volunteers there, and the establishment of teacher training centers within the country. After the revolution of 1979, in addition to the graduates of these centers, the private sector has also been providing vocational schools with adjunct teaching staff. The training method used in these centers, similar to the method used by the adjunct staff, has shortcomings and advantages, both of which are explained herein. Based on the discovered shortcomings, it is suggested that volunteers for techno-vocational teaching should have a bachelor’ s degree in technical-vocational fields and then go through a master’ s program for pedagogic knowledge and skills.

The purpose of this paper is to review the expected professional competencies throughout the history of teacher training in Iran. As such it covers both the past, covering the period from teacher training inception in 1918 to the Islamic revolution in 1979; and the present, since the revolution. Of course the future is covered as well, since in the light of the accelerated developments in all aspects of life, most certainly, the future teachers are influenced by such developments as well. According to the available documents, from the early years of teacher training programs, mastery of the subject matter and the methods of teaching it are the most outstanding competencies emphasized. In post-revolutionary teacher training further emphasis is put on moral competency and the role modeling of a teacher. As for the future teachers, not only the current competencies ought to be emphasized, but humanistic and meta-cognitive competencies become necessary.

The developmental path of Iranian teacher training curriculum, based on an analysis of the existing documents, consists of two tracts: one is influenced by the establishment of Daarolfonoon, the importing of scientific resources from Europe, and sending of students abroad; while the other is defined by objective facts, cooperation of institutes of higher education in planning a curriculum for teacher training, and an emphasis on a research-based interactive approach. The first provided the necessary conditions for shaping a system for the planning of teacher training curriculum. In doing so it was influenced by many factors such as the political and administrative structures, textbook authorship, establishment of research councils and organizations, and the opening of University of Tehran. The second tract, considering the changes in attitudes and mentality, helped with the envisaging of an appropriate outlook, based on national and international criteria, by redefining who an effective teacher is.