Preparation for teaching in a research degree a model to prepare geographers for academic careers

Doctoral degrees serve as qualifications for careers in higher education, yet they prepare students for only one aspect of those careers — research. Under the auspices of the Association of American Geographers’ Project, ‘Teaching and Learning in Graduate Geography’, the University of Illinois incorporated teaching preparation into doctoral study. The programme provides for gaining knowledge about teaching and learning, for developing an educational philosophy and for practising and evaluating teaching. Experience in conducting such a programme shows that issues of continuing importance include finding a balance between teaching and research demands, between student freedom and staff authority and between attention to philosophical questions and practical needs.