Aspiring Elementary Teachers Are Unlikely to Get Essential Social Studies and Science Content They Need to Teach Students
Gaps in Teacher Preparation Program Requirements for Coursework in World History, Economics, and Engineering Will Leave Students Unprepared for the Future of Work and Engaged Citizenry
New data and analysis released from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) finds significant opportunities for teacher preparation programs to improve their coursework requirements to ensure that aspiring elementary school teachers receive the essential social studies and science content knowledge they need for the classroom.
The new NCTQ report, Teacher Prep Review: Building Content Knowledge, shows that while most teacher preparation programs have sufficient course options available, only 3% require aspiring teachers to complete courses in most of the social studies and science topics an elementary teacher needs to know in order to promote students’ literacy and learning. Key topics most often absent in program requirements include world history and economics in social studies (required by fewer than 20% of programs), and engineering design in science (required by only 10% of programs), potentially leaving future teachers unprepared to provide their students with the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the modern world.