Teacher Education Programs in Lebanon: Innovations in the Past Decade (2011-2021).

Abstract

Several studies have investigated the nature of teacher education programs in Lebanon. These studies described the requirements of Lebanese teacher preparation programs, identified the differences and similarities among these programs, and discussed the theoretical perspectives driving them. Other studies looked into the preparation of subject matter teachers such as mathematics and science teachers, among others. Exploring the similarities and differences among these programs was motivated by the fact that there are varieties of Lebanese private universities – in addition to Lebanon’s sole public university –that adopt American or French educational models to prepare teachers. Previously published studies on teacher preparation used qualitative and qualitative research designs. For example, a mixed-methods approach was used to investigate the structural and conceptual foundations of programs; another study used document analysis to identify the content of the programs, while a third analyzed course syllabi of teacher education courses to identify the types of mathematics teaching methods adopted. However, there has been no attempt to critically analyze and synthesize the extant research and identify the “innovations” that have been introduced in these programs over the past decade and in response to the pressures exerted on universities due to the COVID-19 pandemic and political turmoil in Lebanon. Consequently, the purpose of this chapter is to conduct a critical review of the literature on teacher education in Lebanon and supplement it with an analysis of the innovations implemented across a sample of the major existing teacher education programs.