The purpose of this study was to show the inadequacy of preparation of prospective teachers of English in composition, trace the historical background of the present situation, and provide model curricula to remedy the inadequacy.The inadequacy in composition in English preparatory programs was established in Chapter I by citing results of studies conducted by leaders of the profession and by major professional organizations such as The National Council of Teachers of English and the Modern Language Association. These results, which apply equally to teachers in public schools and colleges, show that few teachers are prepared properly to teach writing in any mode and are the consequences of preparatory programs in which writing and methods to teach it have been neglected in favor of an almost total literature orientation.Chapter II, The Historical Background of the Present Situation, shows the growth of the three agencies responsible for preparing an English teacher to enter the classroom—the college English and Education departments and the State Department of Education. The independent development and different life styles of the three agencies were traced from their origins in Europe, through the expansion of public education in the post-Civil War era to their twentieth century inter-relationship on college campuses in preparatory programs. The expansion of education following World War II increased requirements for credentials of public school teachers to four years of college, but the Ph.D. in literature remained the credential for teaching English in colleges and universities. Therefore, the college programs for English majors and minors maintained their literature orientation even though it is axiomatic that all English teachers must teach composition for a substantial portion of their professional life. Few prospective teachers receive instruction in writing beyond the freshman composition requirement and techniques for teaching writing are seldom incorporated into methods courses. The only remedy, therefore, is to offer model curricula that balance writing and the study of literature in the preparatory program.Two model curricula are based on assumptions that prospective English teachers can learn to write and teach writing given sufficient instruction; that, if they are taught a balanced program, English teachers will teach a balanced program; that finding faculty to teach writing courses in the model curricula will be difficult at first, but there are a few qualified people on every campus and a national program of internships can be established to provide additional faculty until graduates of the new program are available; and that a psychological orientation is vital to the Cluster Curriculum, one of the model curricula.The two model curricula are the Cluster Curriculum and the English Adjunct Curriculum. The structure of the former is based upon a nucleus of Psychological Development Sessions around which are clustered both subject and pedagogical experiences, thereby balancing writing, literature study, methods to teach both, and opportunities to work within the school system from the start of professional education.Because the Cluster Curriculum is based upon cultural changes, the English Adjunct Curriculum is suggested as a forerunner while the necessary changes take place. The English Adjunct Curriculum can be attached to the current program of English studies by requiring a Writing Adjunct to general studies courses in freshman and sophomore college years, and Writing Adjuncts to literature courses in junior and senior years of English programs. In addition, the English major and minor will be required to enroll in one course in how to teach composition per academic year. To accommodate increased writing requirements, changes in literature requirements are suggested.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/174745 |
| Date | January 1974 |
| Creators | Aldrich, Pearl G. |
| Contributors | Tovatt, Anthony L. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | 142 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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