Preservice Preparation for Middle Level International School Teachers

This chapter examines the Bachelor of Arts in International Education Studies (IES) program at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. This unique program is jointly offered by the Faculty of Education and the Department of Global Studies and centres on instructional practices and pedagogy specific to international settings as well as the development of global awareness and intercultural competencies. Middle tier education in Canada follows different organizational models. The authors explain the congruence between the Ontario, Junior-Intermediate certified specialists who typically teach Grades 7–8, in units housed within elementary or secondary schools and how graduates of the IES program with the Ontario Junior-Intermediate qualification are well prepared for work in middle tier schooling in international education contexts. The chapter not only adds to our understanding of teacher preparation for young adolescents in Ontario, Canada, but also how this relates to those teaching more than 5.6 million students who attend international schools.