An Analysis of Teacher Education Mission Statements in the United States

Abstract

Abstract This study analyzed all available teacher preparation program mission statements in the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (n = 475) using exploratory sequential mixed methods, intersecting theory with qualitative and quantitative analysis. First, we inductively constructed a five-tiered framework for categorizing mission statements and identified patterns of orientation with varying degrees of commitment to social justice. We then examined specific characteristics (religious affiliation, region, degree of urbanization, public versus private, nonprofit versus for-profit) of each institution using Pearson chi-square statistical tests of homogeneity, Monte-Carlo simulations, and pairwise comparisons using Fisher exact tests. We found that those programs located in urban areas, the Mid East, and Far West regions have a higher frequency of mission statements with justice characteristics when compared to those in rural areas and the Southeast region. However, analysis of religiously-affiliated and secular programs, as well as private and public teacher education institutions, revealed no meaningful frequency differences.