Education

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Associate Professor: Gay (Chair)
Assistant Professor: Kelly (on leave)
Lecturer: Gerdes
Affiliated Professor: Ault (Psychology)
Visiting Assistant Professor: Waymer (Communication Studies)
Visiting Lecturer: Chartier (Spring)

Graduation Requirements

Distribution Requirements (Social Science): Education 121, 221, 242, 243, 250, 260, 330, and 340.
Cultural Diversity Requirement: Education 250, 260 and 340.

Goals of the Teacher Licensure Concentration

To prepare secondary school teachers, the program addresses the following goals:

to provide a program of studies constituting a liberal education;
to provide an academic major constituting in-depth knowledge of subject matter appropriate for teaching in secondary schools;
to provide a sequence of professional studies courses and experiences leading to pedagogical proficiency.

Teacher Licensure

Davidson College provides a course of study leading to North Carolina initial licensure/certification at the secondary level in the fields of Biology, English, French (K-12), Latin, Mathematics, Spanish (K-12), and Social Studies (which includes majors in Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Religion). For more detailed information, interested students should contact the chair of the Department of Education. Students must graduate with a 2.5 grade point average to qualify for a teaching license issued by the state of North Carolina. The Teacher Education Program Handbook is available on the Education Department Web page and provides all details related to licensing procedures.

General Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements of the major, students in the Teacher Licensure Concentration must take the following courses: Education 121, 242 and one of the following: Education 250, 260 or 340. Students must also have minimum scores designated by the State of North Carolina on the Praxis Series or minimum scores on the SAT/ACT prior to applying to student teaching.

Admission Requirements

Formal admission to the Teacher Licensure Concentration usually occurs during the second or third year. Students complete an “Admission to the Teacher Education Program” form and meet the following guidelines:

proficiency in oral and written communications through completion of core requirements and interviews with the Education Department faculty;
state designated minimum scores on the Praxis I series (Pre-Professional Skills Test) or minimum scores on the SAT/ACT;
successful completion (grade of “C” or better) of EDU 121 or 242 and one of the following courses: EDU 250, 260, or 340.
a recommendation from the Dean of Students, the departmental advisor, and one other faculty member regarding the student’s interest and suitability for teaching;
approval of the Teacher Education Committee; and
approval of the Department of Education faculty and chair.

Student Teaching

Students take Education 400, 410–411, and 420 concurrently in one semester during the senior year that is reserved for student teaching. No additional courses can be taken at this time. Students must receive permission from the chair of the Education Department before enrolling in 400-level courses.

Concentration

There are two tracks—a traditional student-teaching track leading to licensure (which is outlined above) and an interdisciplinary track for students who are interested in the study of education, but are not currently pursuing licensure. Both of these are described in detail in the separate section of this catalog on concentrations. Early schedule planning with the department chair is necessary to ensure completion of all requirements by graduation.

Education Courses

Other than the two W-courses, the single education course at the 100 level serves as a broad introduction to the field of Educational Studies. Courses at the 200 level are narrower, focusing on pedagogy, diversity, and psychology. Education 241 and Education 243 require Psychology 101 as a prerequisite, while the other 200-level courses are open to all students. Courses at the 300 level are normally for students completing the Interdisciplinary Concentration, and those at the 400 level are only for students completing the Licensure Concentration.

EDU 250, 260 and 340 satisfy the Cultural Diversity requirement.