المستخلص: |
The graduate studies form a very important step in the professional development of teachers. This pilot study presents a case study of an Israeli teacher education college. The goal of this paper is to map the main topics chosen by in-service teachers who study in the following M.Ed. programs: (a) inclusive education, (b) educational and organizational systems, and (c) instruction, learning and mentoring. The study focuses on the correlation between these topics and the characteristics of the research and the paper final grade. The findings show that in spite of the fact that the students enjoy academic freedom in their subject choice for the research topics, most of them chose topics related to their department or to the type of job they plan for their future career. The M.Ed. theses provide an opportunity for students' professional development, since they gain theoretical and research-based professional knowledge and skills. The study concludes that the flexibility of the M.Ed. programs is essential in order to accommodate the diversity of the students in terms of their career stage and their career path. The flexibility of the M.Ed. programs contributes to the effective self-regulation of the teachers, the relationship between the advisors and the advisees, and to the college itself. Therefore, we recommend continuing this flexible approach, while dealing with the challenges it involves.
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