Business and marketing teacher preparation in Missouri: a study of characteristics and influencing factors

Abstract

Given that there has been a recent movement toward alternative certification of teachers in all fields, and particular to this study, in business and marketing education, this study of traditional (TR) and alternative routes to certification (AC) sought to discover characteristics and experiences of business and marketing education teachers in Missouri in regard to their preparation for certification to teach. This study used quantitative methodology and gathered data from an electronic survey sent to Missouri business and marketing education teachers who were granted initial certification to teach during 2001 to 2008 and for whom email addresses could be located. The data was analyzed for percentage relationships cross-tabulated by route to certification. The study findings discovered that there is no shortage of business and marketing teachers in Missouri, though it is possible that alternative certification practices may help create a more diverse population of teachers and may serve more hard-to-serve school districts. The AC teachers do not rate themselves as competent in content or pedagogy as highly as did the TR teachers. Both AC and TR teachers credit their work experiences and professional education courses as most influential in their success, along with their age and maturity. The implications of the research are related to developing appropriate teacher preparation policies and practices, defining the role of secondary teacher preparation programs, and improving the overall quality of teacher preparation with appropriate training that incorporates real-world experiences, and considers the age/maturity influence for success in teaching.