The history of teacher training and education, theories of teaching and education of teachers, in western countries, began in the first decade of the 18th century in Germany, with teaching seminaries preparing teachers to teach. This was the first formal teacher training in their history of education and teaching.
Formal teacher education and training, the first teacher training college in the history of education and the history of teaching of western countries, was founded in early 18th century in France by the Roman Catholic monk Jean Babtiste de la Salle, canonised in 1900; his Brothers of the Christian schools were teaching poor and middle class children and were an order of non-clerical male teachers. It was based on what Greek philosopher had advocated and was later re-introduced into western society by Islam: that spirituality ought not be the only reason and basis of education. Until then, teacher education and training had been clerical, and this, in 1725 was the first secular teacher training college in the history of education of the West.
In the history of education of western countries this changed attitudes to education; teaching, and teacher education and training, came to require teachers to have an understanding of the human mind, together with knowledge of science and art and principles of teaching, and methods of teaching and education.
This became established as the norm and teacher training establishments conformed to this with the first, what was termed, Normal Schools, in that history of education and training of teachers.
This became popular, and progress followed: for the first time in the history of education and history of teaching of western countries a system of education was created requiring and enabling knowledge and in-service experience and certification for teachers, with continuing professional development opportunities in professional teaching for teachers. It was not a uniform system of teacher education and training, but it enabled teachers, while teaching, to attend teaching seminars to refresh and increase their knowledge of teaching, and the exchange of ideas among teachers.
Uniform teacher education and training in the history of education, as professional teaching, first began in France. Its unsuccessful attempt during the French revolution to adopt Germany's seminars for teachers was followed, with Napoleon's efforts in the second quarter of the 19th century, by the establishing of a similar, and the first uniform, system in the western history of education and training of teachers.
In Britain and in the USA there had been no system of formal teacher education and training, although a certification for teachers, of moral fitness for teaching, had been introduced by Elizabeth I.
In England's history of education and teaching, in the first quarter of the 19th century a teaching method set up by Joseph Lancaster and Andrew Bell, called Lancasterian, was in use: senior students as 'monitors', while receiving teaching from a tutor, were teaching other students, acting as teachers.
In Scotland's history of education and teaching, Europe's progress by Germany's teacher education became interested in, in the third quarter of 19th century: David Stowe founded the Glasgow Normal Seminary for teachers.
Teacher education and training progressed: in the USA Horace Mann founded the Massachusetts Normal Schools; in Britan's colonies voluntary organisations and churches established formal through teacher training colleges and teaching.
Arguments followed in England on whether it was right for persons of lower social class to attend teacher training colleges and give teaching to children of persons of higher social class; in France, it was feared that teachers by their teaching might influence young minds with liberal ideas.
(In Japan [perhaps influencing the USA's history of education and teaching] emphasis in teaching was on instilling patriotism)
In Europe's history of teacher education and training, in the 19th century, Rosencrantz's 'Philosophy of Education' emphasised 'philosophical and psychological data'; this, on the lines of Islam's system of university faculties, developed into separate teaching disciplines.
This progress in history of education teaching was furthered in Sweden by Pestalozzi: he advocated formal teacher training colleges.
(Pestalozzi, except theologically, was self-educated, never set out specifically a written account of teaching and of teacher training colleges; his place in the history of education and teaching ands greatness is deducible in outline from his various writings and loving and sincere deeds and the example he set)
The education of teachers through teacher training colleges was favoured by Froebel in Germany, and by Alexander Bain in his 'Education as a Science'; it developed with Herbart's pedagogical emphasis in teaching on five formal steps: preparation, presentation, comparison, generalisation, application.
Germany's model for teacher education and training became the basis of further developments: Derwent Coleridge and James Kay Shuttleworth in Britain, Mann in the USA broadly agreeing, favoured it: teacher education and training, should emphasise techniques of teaching -"not only the subjects of instructions, but also the method of teaching".
By the end of the 19th century teacher education and training became established in France and Russia [and in Japan]; teacher education and training, by law, should be through formal teacher training colleges.
In the English speaking countries' history of education and teaching, formal teacher education and training began with the University of Edinburgh in Scotland's creation of a chair in education, with the St. Andrews; the USA with efforts of, e.g., Henry Bernard and Nicholas Murray Butler, followed.
Developments in the English speaking were by way of the teaching techniques of Herbert Spencer in England in teacher education and training, pedagogy, and in the USA a study, e.g, by Francis W. Parker, of Germany's pedagogical developments.
In the USA's history of education and teaching John Dewey worked with the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, as influenced by the Darwinian hypothesis (reportedly originating from the library of Alexandria) prior to its later evaluation by science; taking into account from other disciplines what was considered relevant in teaching to child development, the Brown University founded a department of education.
The Roman Catholic La Salle College in Philadelphia, chartered 1863, had been teaching education.
The Teachers College founded in 1888 in New York was popularly incorporated into the Columbia University, establishing famously that teacher training college at beginning of 20th century, announcing "The purpose of the Teacher Training College is to afford opportunity, both theoretical and practical, for the training of teachers, of both sexes, for kindergartens and elementary schools and secondary schools, of principals, supervisors, and superintendents of schools, and of specialists in various branches of school work, involving normal schools and colleges" -it became the basis, in the western history of education and teaching, of teacher education and training.
In Britain's system of education, which applied throughout the Commonwealth, entry into teacher training came to require senior secondary school, advanced level, qualifications equal to those of the British Grammar Schools; and, in Europe lycèe diplomas with compulsory advanced classical academic and cultural content became the minimum entry requirement.
(Until the late 20th century holders of those minimum entry qualification, by passing a selection examination, could become 'temporary teachers'. Graduates of Oxford and Cambridge universities, upon payment of a fee, could be conferred upon the title of 'master' and be placed as teachers by their syndicate. Graduates of other universities wanting to become teachers attended the three year teacher training colleges, or with a Bachelor of Education degree could enter teacher training at 3rd year level. Changes in Britain in education and teaching since the about end of the 20th century made acceptable entry qualification some 6 months of assistant teacher training).
In their history of education less aspiring to make education as 'practical' as in the USA and as in Britain's later history, the European teaching institutions almost uniformly continue more to value academic entry qualifications for training as school teachers.
Interest in entering the teaching profession have always been based on the status of teachers -which, traditionally, was highest in Russia in the 2nd half of the 20th century, where teachers enjoyed more favourable terms of employment than elsewhere.
In Britain's history of education, the 1980's miss-projection of the numbers of teachers needed resulted in the employment of science graduates, without formal teaching qualifications, as, initially temporary, teachers; but a status was enjoyed by teachers of similar regard as in European countries, and, about the end of the 20th century, conferring knighthood upon teachers of long service was politically suggested -although due to controversy about the House of Lords that did not materialise; at the beginning of the 21st century, for reasons considered economic, the status of teachers was regarded to have been equated to those of classroom assistants socially criticised for taking classes on their own with brief training.
In the USA's history of education and teaching a form of essentialism in education has been hailed, with a culture based on practicality and model citizenry, emphasising respect for authority; with a reported lower literacy rate than e.g. much less resourceful Turkey's, and in the 21st century, with no general minimum standard in teacher training and education, some states not recognising the teaching qualifications of some others, teachers and teaching officially appear to enjoy no higher regard then in Bernard Shaw's remark (by some believed to be about writers' courses) "Those who can, do; those who can not teach".
In the USA, at the end of the 20th century, a state's response to public demand for improvement in teaching and educational standards was by appointing three generals to test and hire and fire teachers; and at the beginning of the 21st century the response to same nationally was, at federal level, the responsibility of a serving soldier of that rank. Some teachers paid only term time, having to seek vacation work during summer, teaching and teachers, generally, have enjoyed the least good terms and conditions in western countries.
The growth of interest in culture and education in western society's history of teaching has been seen, in the European Union, mostly in Cyprus -reportedly with the highest percentage of university graduates.
The cultural values balance in the western history of teaching and the status of teachers, appear to have been more reflected in the education and training of teachers in Europe, mostly in Spain and Italy, and in France -where without much disregard to spiritual values also political and ideological affiliations of teachers have long been the norm in professional teaching.
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