The Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education program prepares students to serve as researchers and teacher educators in universities and colleges, curriculum developers and evaluators in educational agencies, curriculum specialists in school districts and state departments of education, and instructional leaders and classroom teachers in K-12 schools.

Coursework and research experiences address a range of practice-based and theoretical problems in schools and community settings from sociopolitical, cultural, philosophical, psychological, and historical perspectives. Taking an interdisciplinary stance, faculty and students explore issues of equity, social justice and educational change in a range of formal and informal educational settings. Through their programs of study, students select focal areas such as teaching and learning, research and practice in teacher education, mathematics or science education, and the study of urban education and urban contexts. Applicants interested in the focal area of literacy are encouraged to consider the doctoral program in Reading/Writing/Literacy.

Because of the significance we attach to the building of knowledge from experiences as educators, we expect most students to have, on admission to the program, teaching or relevant educational experiences in or outside of school settings. Students build a program of study that includes courses in teaching and learning, social foundations, and research methods. Field-based research and collaborative projects with practitioners in schools or other educational settings are key components of the TLTE program. Students learn not only from a rigorous program of study, but also from active participation in a community of learners including practicing and prospective teachers.

The Ph.D. in Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education focuses on the preparation of researchers in education. The program includes formal courses, mentored research, and informal seminars. Students take several core courses, required research methods courses, and additional specialization and elective courses as determined by their individualized planned program of study. All doctoral students take a set of written examinations in the area of specialization and complete a dissertation to complete the course of study. The program will accept up to eight course units of relevant graduate-level coursework towards the degree taken prior to enrollment at Penn GSE.