Comparison of mathematics teacher training programs in Turkey, Japan and Germany

The scope and quality of the education they receive before they start their profession is very important in order for teachers to perform their profession effectively and to meet the expectations of the society from teachers in the best way. For this reason, teacher education is an important issue that is expected to be continuously improved in accordance with the conditions of the age. In terms of developing teacher training programs, which is one of the most important factors in teacher education, and adapting them to the requirements of the age, different orientations, structures and processes between countries can be used in teacher education. The aim of this study is to compare the mathematics teacher training program implemented in Turkey today with the mathematics teacher training programs of three different countries, Japan and Germany. The three countries to be compared, Turkey, Japan and Germany, were selected by considering the results of PISA (International Student Assessment Program) 2018 mathematics field performances. The study is a comparative educational research and descriptive and explanatory approaches will be used, especially the horizontal approach. The data of the study were obtained by examining the education systems of these three countries, the legislation of teacher training programs, theses, articles, journals and official websites that provide information about the countries. The data obtained were analyzed by dividing certain topics such as student selection for the mathematics teaching program, the course contents of the applied curriculum, teaching practice and the conditions for graduating from the program, and the results were evaluated. The course contents of the mathematics teacher training programs implemented in the countries were examined and compared under the headings of mathematics field education, teaching profession knowledge and general culture. As a result of these comparisons, similarities and differences between the three countries were revealed. Suggestions were made for the results obtained at the end of the study.