Teachers' Education, Teaching Practice, and Retention: A Cross-Genre Review of Recent Research

In the United States, there is enormous controversy about how teachers ought to be prepared and licensed. Many of the sharpest controversies stem from acute public skepticism about whether formal teacher preparation is really necessary at all given the lack of conclusive evidence that teacher preparation has a direct impact on students' achievement. With these larger issues in mind, this article presents a review of recent research that empirically examines the connection between teachers' education and either teaching practice or teacher retention (or both). The literature in six distinct genres of research is reviewed with cross-genre conclusions and implications.