On-campus and distance students inthe compulsory teacher education program at the University of Iceland School of Education: Background, attitudes and commitment to the teaching profession

Abstract

In Iceland, 5 years of university education are required to qualify as a compulsory school teacher. Teacher education is offered at the University of Iceland (UI) in Reykjavík, and at the University of Akureyri in North Iceland. The focus of this article is compulsory teacher education at the University of Iceland. Student teachers can choose between campus-based attendance and online learning with required periodical face-to-face sessions, and can even choose which form they prefer in each individual course. Around half of the students at UI are online students. In Iceland, like in many other countries, declining enrollment in teacher education programs has caused concern about the shortage of qualified teachers at the compulsory school level. In the 1990s, a similar situation was met by a special effort to enable universities to enroll more student teachers and to offer distance education for teachers without formal qualifications who were teaching in rural schools. As a result, the percentage of uncertified teachers decreased (especially in rural areas) and, when an economic crisis hit Iceland in 2008, teachers returned to work in compulsory schools, increasing the number of qualified teachers. However, in 2015 the number of teachers without certification started to increase once again, from 4% on average from 2011 to 2014 to 9% in 2017. The ratio of individuals dropping out from compulsory teacher education, as well as from the profession, also causes concern. Therefore, it is important to investigate which factors might be related to student teachers’ commitment to the teaching profession. Because teacher education at the University of Iceland has been offered both on-campus and as a blend of online and face-to-face, we think it is of particular interest to understand whether there is a difference between students in online and on-campus programs. This study presents a picture of the background of students in the teacher education program at the University of Iceland School of Education, and explores whether there are differences between distance and on-campus students. We are looking at students’ work experience, hours worked per week, their parents’ education, and how those factors relate to their commitment to the teaching profession. We also investigate the potential relevance of the following aspects to students’ commitment to the teaching profession: pedagogy, subject-didactics, communication with practice mentors, mentor skills in relating theory and praxis, and feedback and discussion with practice mentors. The data was derived from an online questionnaire administered in the spring of 2017 at the University of Iceland School of Education. All participants were students (N = 208) in a five-year teacher education program, training to be teachers in compulsory schools in Iceland. The data was collected online. 87% of participants were female. 33% were online students, 47% were on campus, and 20% of students took classes both on campus and online. 47% of on-campus students had a mother with a university education; the same was true for 29% of students in the distance education program and 49% of students that took classes in both forms. 35% of students in the distance program had a mother with only compulsory education compared to 19% of the on-campus students and 27% of those taking classes both on campus and online. About 13% of distance students, 41% of on-campus students, and 35% of students choosing both forms had a father with a university education. Around 16% of students in the distance education program had a parent who was a teacher, compared to 31% of the students in the on-campus program. Around 30% of participants were not working, and the percentage was similar for distance, on campus, and students taking both classes online and on campus. 20% of online students were working as teachers in compulsory schools without the proper qualifications, compared to 2% of on-campus students and 8% of students taking both forms. Of the distance students, 48% were either not working or working in a field unrelated to their studies. The same was true for 55% of on-campus students and 54% of students in both programs. 42% of students in the distance programs worked more than 30 hours per week; only 5% of on campus students put in that many hours.The study found no difference in the commitment to the teaching profession between online and on-campus students, but did find a higher level of commitment among students working as teachers. Satisfaction with relevance of pedagogy and subject-didactics correlates with commitment levels; however, there is a stronger correlation with factors relevant to practice teaching. This aligns with previous studies that have shown the importance of practice schools in educating teachers.