Bilkent University Teacher Education Program was founded at the Graduate School of Education (GSE) in 2000 with the intention of developing and offering high-quality graduate level degree programs for preparing, and developing, outstanding teachers, and future educational leaders who stimulate change. Since its establishment in 2000, hundreds of teachers have been produced, many have since gone on
to take their places as leaders in schools, and are already making contribution to the development of education in Turkey. A major strength of Bilkent’s teacher education program is that it recruits teacher candidates specialized in a subject area, and it provides platform for development of research skills in education, and for extended teaching practice in a variety of schools offering international curricula. Over the years, mainly due to the changes in policies regulating pre-service teacher education in Turkey, several teacher education programs in different forms have been developed:
· The first one was called MA in Teacher Education (without thesis) which was delivered in six subject areas: Biology, English, Mathematics, History, Physics and Turkish Language and Literature until 2010.
· A few years later, another program, called combined BA and MA in Teacher Education (without thesis), was developed and delivered in two subject areas: English and Computer & Instructional Technology.
· Since 2010, a new 58-credit teacher education program, called MA in Curriculum and Instruction (with thesis) together with a Teaching Certificate program has been delivered, with the intention of preparing a new breed of teachers. The program offers an MA degree together with dual certification:
MA program equipping participants with knowledge and skills needed to conceptualise the concepts of curriculum and instruction, and to conduct scholarly research
Certificate of Teaching Program (i.e. Pedagojik Formasyon Eğitimi) providing ample amount of experience at a variety of prestigious schools
International Baccalaureate Certificate of Teaching and Learning (for DP) providing ample amount of experience at a variety of prestigious schools
