Oxford University’s Internship Model of Teacher Training and Its Implications for Teacher Training Programs in Iran

Oxford University’s Internship Model of Teacher Training and Its Implications for Teacher Training Programs in Iran E.Talaa’ee, Ph.D. Fahimeh Gandomi Oxford University’s Internship Model of Teacher Training with a school-based perspective on teachers’ professional education, is considered to be a successful model resulted from the cooperation of schools and the university. Given the problems with which the Iranian teacher training programs are faced, the main question in this research is whether the same elements of this successful model can be adapted into the Iranian system of teacher education in order to improve its overall quality. Although this study can be considered a descriptive case study, its objective is to identify clear implications adaptable by the Iranian Teacher Training Programs given the socio-cultural differences that exist between the two settings. The needed data were collected through observation, interview, and personal experiences of the author with both teachers and student-teachers, as well as the head of the College of Education with a tenure of thirteen years. The collected data are initially summarized along the conceptual, socio-historical, and structural lines, and then based on the theoretical framework of the study, the constructive elements of the program are identified in order to be discussed for adaptation by the Iranian system in the final segment of this paper. Key words: educational system, pre-service teacher training, Oxford University, teacher training curriculum, competent teacher