Teachers, Teacher Education, and Professional Development
Although each jurisdiction has its own teacher education program requirements, many school systems in Canada require elementary and secondary teachers to complete a minimum three year undergraduate education as well as a two year teaching degree to receive a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education from an accredited university. In addition, at least one supervised teaching practicum is required to complete any education program. The duration of the teaching practicum varies across the country, from 50 days to 6 months. Some jurisdictions (i.e., British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador) require the completion of a probationary teaching period lasting from six months to two years. Other jurisdictions (i.e., Quebec and New Brunswick [French]) require the successful completion of a qualifying examination.
Teacher Education Specific to Mathematics and Science
In terms of teacher education and specialization in teaching mathematics and/or science, specific requirements differ by jurisdiction. Overall, the number of university credit hours completed in mathematics and/or science required for elementary school mathematics and/or science teachers is less across the country than the credit hours and specialization required for mathematics and/or science teachers at the secondary level, where a deeper understanding of the material is required.
Requirements for Ongoing Professional Development
Each jurisdiction and ministry of education has its own requirements for teacher professional development in mathematics, science, and technology. Many activities help shape teacher professional development, including school district events, university programs, special training programs offered by the ministries or teacher colleges, educational conventions, research projects, and large scale assessment development and scoring sessions. While the majority of jurisdictions do not regulate the number of required professional development hours, some (such as Nova Scotia) require teachers to complete 100 hours of professional development every five years. Besides traditional face-to-face professional development opportunities, teachers also may enhance their learning through technology supported methods such as online learning communities.