The Extent of Emphasis Put on the Aesthetically-Based Approaches to Teaching in Pre-Service Programs of Teacher Training: A Comparative Study

With the aim of helping to improve the quality of teaching in Iranian teacher training centers a comparative study was undertaken in order to determine the extent to which aesthetically-based approaches to teaching are emphasized among the professional competencies sought after in the selected countries. Selection of the countries to be compared (Australia, England, Singapore, Finland, Canada, South Korea, Malaysia, and India) has been based on their performances in TIMSS, PIRLS, and PISA. The framework for the study is taken from the works of Mahmoud Mehrmohammadi wherein 13 characteristics of a competent teacher, such as being interactive, imaginative, and creative, are delineated. The findings reveal that in implementing these competency indicators in the selected countries aesthetically-based approaches are not dealt with that much. In some countries certain standards are used in order to define competency. In some others, including Iran, it is the documented national and political aspirations that define competency. It is worth mentioning that any reference made to the characteristics of teachers is mostly short and inadequate across all reviewed programs.