THE EXPANDED ROLE OF REGULAR CLASS TEACHERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Man proposes; God - and in this case the teacher - disposes. It is plain that the ambitions conceived for mainstreaming will only he achieved if regular teachers in fact manifest the kinds of competence and attitude that are assumed. The Semmels review the literature looking for evidence concerning the status among teachers of the appropriate competencies and attitudes, and discuss the implications the findings have for programs of teacher education. They find low self-esteem among teachers who take part with other professionals in joint planning; a promising if too general level of expertise in making assessments of pupils; and a potential challenge from the computer to the quality of their input into the formulations of objectives. The attitudes of teachers towards individualization and to having handicapped pupils in class suggest a major reexamination of some assumptions. Each of these situations has clear implications for the kind of education teachers should receive.