From Prospective to Prepared Teacher: A Global Study of Initial Teacher Education

• In Event: Teacher Education in Transition: Equity, Innovation, and Professional Formation

Proposal

Well-prepared primary school teachers are crucial for equipping children with the foundational skills they need for future academic success, employment, and life. Initial teacher education (ITE) is the basis of teachers' lifelong professional learning, providing aspiring teachers with the core knowledge and skills for teaching, and a strong professional identity, to prepare them for their roles. Despite its importance, ITE has historically received less attention and investment from governments and development partners compared to in-service professional development. In response, a forthcoming report presents the findings of a global study on the preparation of primary school teachers, examining how ITE is delivered worldwide and offering key guiding principles for countries seeking to improve education outcomes.

The study consisted of a literature review; extensive semi-structured interviews with selected experts and stakeholders worldwide; and three background papers on (1) the empirical evidence on ITE, (2) the use of technology to support ITE, and (3) the costs of ITE. These inputs informed an analytical framework that distills key principles for ITE reform, illustrated through eleven country case studies.

The study makes the case for investing in ITE, highlighting that insufficient investment often leads to knowledge and skills gaps that must be addressed later in teachers’ careers and can limit their ability to benefit from ongoing professional development. Effective education systems, which are coherent and aligned around learning, rely on teachers who are well-prepared and professionally motivated. This foundation is best established through quality ITE, because introducing the core skills and knowledge for teaching, along with developing a strong professional identity, later in a teacher’s career means they are not adequately prepared from day one and must undertake intensive study while also working. The study finds that quality ITE is a crucial component of primary school teachers’ preparation and professionalization and should be carefully developed in all education systems. Given the global need for many additional teachers, investments in ITE have become increasingly urgent.

To help countries build effective ITE systems, the study identifies five key principles: (1) attract and select strong teacher candidates into ITE programs; (2) provide relevant and impactful ITE program content by skilled teacher educators; (3) incorporate quality field placements for teaching experience and practice; (4) align institutions for responsive, efficient, and quality-driven ITE; and (5) enhance quality assurance processes to maintain high standards in ITE. Based on these key principles, the report recommends associated policy actions.

The key principles and policy actions are illustrated through the case studies, which describe countries’ experiences with ITE development and reform. These include, for example, Bahrain’s strategic investments in a national teachers college to improve teaching and learning in public schools; Zambia’s focus on foundational literacy in its ITE reform; Viet Nam’s three generations of transforming teacher education; Ghana’s coordinated efforts to develop a shared ITE curriculum; and Chile’s strengthening of ITE through accreditation processes.

The study concludes with a learning strategy for continuous improvement of ITE and a call to build a robust evidence ecosystem that is both globally relevant and locally actionable. This involves developing a basic science of teacher preparation through comprehensive research, evaluation, and monitoring—prioritizing areas with limited evidence and high potential impact, such as quality field placements and practice-based teacher education. It also calls for strengthening local research and data infrastructures to generate the information needed to build a more definitive evidence base on effective teacher preparation, leading to more successful ITE programs.

Authors

• Laura Gregory, The World Bank

• Luis Benveniste, The World Bank Group

• Katy Bullard, The World Bank Group