Elementary Education (BS)

Program Requirements

Pre-Professional Area — 8-11 Credits

Recommended Electives

Academic Support Area — 32 Credits

Professional Year — 7-24 Credits

Admission to All Programs

Admission to the general degree requires a valid MAP that will satisfy university graduation criteria. Admission to the school teaching tracks requires letters of recommendation, a completed application packet, and a formal interview. Please see the chair or advisor for further details.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completing a major in teacher education, students can demonstrate an understanding of these outcomes:

1. Learner Development - The teacher candidate designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
2. Learning Differences - The teacher candidate creates inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
3. Learning Environments - The teacher candidate works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
4. Content Knowledge - The teacher candidate understands the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
5. Application of Content - The teacher candidate uses differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving related to authentic local and global issues.
6. Assessment - The teacher candidate uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision-making.
7. Planning for Instruction - The teacher candidate plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals.
8. Instructional Strategies - The teacher candidate uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop a deep understanding of content areas and their connections and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
9. Professional Learning and Ethical Practice - The teacher candidate uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
10. Leadership and Collaboration - The teacher candidate seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, and to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, and other school professionals.

The Discipline

All courses offered in the elementary education teacher education program are designed to meet the performance standards established by the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) and to provide a classroom-oriented knowledge base in a subject content area. Field experiences are attached to most academic professional classes, with the capstone experience being student teaching for students working to teach in grades Kindergarten through 6th grade in public or private schools. The program provides the opportunity for prospective teachers to learn about the culture of the elementary school, develop a solid foundation in basic principles of teaching and learning that originated in educational theory and research, and become proficient in systematically applying those basic principles in practical U.S. and international settings.

Career Opportunities

The Elementary Education Program prepares students for a career teaching students in grades kindergarten through six. Individuals may also pursue other career opportunities in education such as counselors, curriculum specialists and administrators.