1.3. Context and content for research based teacher education
Whether or not a teacher education program is able to provide a research based program can depend on contextual factors. A main factor would be the degree to which faculty are involved in research and have first hand experience and training. Colleges where a minority of the faculty hold PhD degrees will be less equipped to foster a culture of research. This is usually an issue in questions of accreditation. In the USA, there are no federal accreditation standards, but it is not uncommon to expect that at least 25 percent of the discipline course hours in each undergraduate major are taught by faculty members holding the earned doctorate in the discipline (e.g. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, 2001).