支持較年長學生修習師培教育：理論的觀點

Mature students in teacher education: A theoretical perspective

本文從理論探討的觀點支持較年長的學生修習師培教育。首先回顧台灣的師培教育政策演變，結果發現大學畢業後但仍欲從事教師一職的成年人們，與年紀較輕且仍在學的大學同儕相較，長久以來一直處於邊緣化地位。根據東西方的理論觀點，本文選用30歲為分野來探討較年長學生適合從事教職的原因：在美國及歐洲多個先進國家所觀察到的「轉大人」(emerging adulthood)理論，其中提及現代二十幾歲的年輕人們有著延緩進入成人角色的趨勢，例如：長期且穩定的工作、進入婚姻以及養育子女。因而經過相對變動的二十幾歲而進入30歲之後的人生階段應漸趨穩定，此一觀點恰巧呼應長久以來影響台灣社會甚鉅的孔子思想「三十而立」。本文以理論的觀點來回應實徵資料中所顯示，比起年輕同儕，較年長學生擁有更適合從事教職的社會心理特質。在此支持較年長 學生修習師培教育的前提下，提出相關建議與其政策啟示。

This paper supports mature students participating in teacher education on the basis of a lit- erature review. After reviewing the development of teacher education policy, I found a histori- cally marginalized status for post-graduate adults who intend to be a teacher, compared to their younger peers who still enroll in college. Age 30 as the cutoff is driven by both theoretical per- spectives, including the phenomenon of emerging adulthood observed in the U.S. and advanced countries in Europe. Emerging adulthood refers to today’s youth delay to enter their fully adult roles such as a stable job status, marriage and parenting. Therefore, age 30 should be considered a new life stage after the volatile period of one’s 20s, which corresponds to the statement of At 30, I took my stand in a Confucius-influenced society like Taiwan. With theoretical perspectives, this paper aims to reflect the evidence shown in empirical studies: mature students expressed themselves as more psycho-socially suitable for the teaching profession than their younger counterparts. Given this, suggestions and policy recommendations were provided.