ABSTRACT
The province of Alberta has a long history of teacher education including a number of firsts in Canada. In April 2017, the U of A celebrated its 75th anniversary as Canada’s first university-based Faculty of Education. While the history of teacher education in Alberta resembles that of other Canadian provinces, significant components of its history are unique in the national context. This chapter is concerned with how teacher education in Alberta began, how and why teacher education in Alberta evolved, and where teacher education in Alberta might be heading. The chapter discusses the emergence of university-based teacher education, the rapid growth of teacher education programs, the evolution of teacher training to teacher education, a period of reduction and differentiation, and possibilities and challenges of preparing teachers for the twenty-first century.
