Influence of Mission Statements on Teacher Education Programs at Two Church-Related Undergraduate Institutions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which stated institutional missions influenced the operation of teacher education programs, and the way that teacher education programs used the institutional mission statement in evaluating their programs as it applied to two private, liberal arts colleges in Minnesota. Institutional missions were expected to guide curricular policy, inform the public, and establish criteria for accountability and subsequent program evaluation. This study was conducted utilizing the case study method. Data were gathered by reviewing documentation pertaining to the institution and to the teacher education program as well as by interviewing administrators, faculty, students, and alumni. Reports were written describing and analyzing each institution individually. Following these individual descriptions a cross comparison of data with the other institution and with the findings reported in the literature was conducted. Conclusions were drawn that supported or rejected theoretical constructs reported in the literature. Finally, the investigator proposed a model for small, church-related, liberal arts institutions to utilize in performing a self-study of their teacher education programs. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) There was no or only a minimal (inferred) relationship between the institutional mission and the program mission. Rather, program statements of purpose or objectives addressed accreditation standards. (2) The institutional mission had a significant influence on the teacher education program. It influenced program admission criteria, course syllabi and content, classroom climate, and total credit distribution. (3) The institutional mission statement had a significant influence on the evaluation of program performance. Both institutions had program review practices that required departments to review programs in relationship to the institutional mission