MEdT Program Overview

Within the College of Education (COE), Institute for Teacher Education (ITE), the Master of Education in Teaching (MEdT) program leads to the Master of Education in Teaching degree from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and to professional certification as a teacher with the State of Hawai‘i. This program requires full¬time enrollment for two academic years and may include the intervening summer. Cohorts focused on addressing the unique needs of on-the-job teacher candidates (MEdT-OJT) have been developed. Specialization areas for the secondary level are restricted to Art, English, Hawaiian Language, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.  Candidates wanting to pursue other areas must obtain approval from the program chair.

MEdT Vision: He Aupuni Palapala Ko'u

Upon Kauikeaouli, Kamehameha III's ascension to the throne of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1824, he proclaimed, "He aupuni palapala ko'u" or "Mine shall be a kingdom of literacy." During his reign, Kamehameha III oversaw the rise of literacy which began a 114-year time span of Hawaiian intellectual thought and literary tradition captured within the thousands of pages of Hawaiian language pages newspapers. 

MEdT recognizes the tremendous efforts and vision of Hawaii's monarch, and respectfully takes on his motto, "He aupuni palapala ko'u", as the guiding vision of the program. Whereas Hawaiian is the aboriginal language of Hawaii, and an official language of the Sate of Hawaii, both Hawaiian and English are used to give voice to the program's vision and guiding principles.

MEdT's Four Guiding Principles

Integrating Theory and Practice: I ulu no ka lala i ke kumu (Pukui, Mary Kawena. 1983. Olelo Noeau 1261. Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press)

Professional learning should take place in the context of thinking and acting as a teacher. MEdT integrates pre-service teacher preparation and in-service professional development opportunities in the context of a partnership school or with our partner communities. 

Inquiry: E hana mua a paa ke kahua mamua o ke ao ana aku ia hai (Pukui, Mary Kawena. 1983. Olelo Noeau 276. Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press)

To become independent and critical thinkers, learners should be actively involved in and responsible for their own learning. The inquiry mode of problem solving is the primary teaching/learning activity of the MEdT. The aim is to build a community of inquiry within the context of a community of learners. 

Collaboration: Laulima

Teacher candidates learn about teaching in collaboration with one another and with practicing professionals. The aim for MEdT candidates and their university coordinator is to plan, reflect, and co-construct knowledge together. 

Reflection: E lawe i ke ao a malama, a e oi mau ka naauao (Pukui, Mary Kawena. 1983. Olelo Noeau 328. Honolulu, Bishop Museum Press)

To develop a thoughtful and self-critical attitude toward professional practice, learners will routinely assess and evaluate their learning and performance. The aim is to support teachers to be reflective of their practice.

Cohort Based Program

MEdT teacher candidates, making satisfactory academic progression through the program, all study as a cohort, which results in their earning both their Hawai‘i State teacher certification (upon recommendation following the third semester) and a Master’s Degree in Teaching from the University of Hawai‘i (upon program completion). Ideally, as a collective group, they enter, matriculate and graduate from the MEdT program at the same time. In general, they are enrolled in the same core courses over the two years. The core courses are offered at the same time and location, with designated teaching faculty and a core faculty advisor. Many of the required program courses and professional specialization courses are completed on the main Mānoa campus. MEdT students should expect to be enrolled as full-time graduate students (taking 9-12 graduate credits per semester).

Hawai‘i Teacher Performance Standards

As per The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board new business item 11-06 (PDF). All Hawaii State Approved Teacher Education Programs (SATEP) have incorporated the Hawai‘i Teacher Performance Standards into their programs. The ten Hawai‘i Teacher Performance Standards describe what teachers and students at all levels should know, be able to do, and care about. 

1. Learner​ ​Development: Engage students in appropriate experiences that support their development as independent learners.

2. Learning​ ​Differences: Provide engaging opportunities that are inclusive and adapted to diverse learners.

3. Learning​ ​Environments: Enrich and enhance communication in the learning environment.

4. Content​ ​Knowledge: Demonstrate proficiency in his or her content area(s) to advance student knowledge and performance. 

5. Application​ ​of​ ​Content: Connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

6. Assessment: Apply appropriate assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, physical and emotional development of the learner.

7. Planning​ ​for​ ​Instruction: Plan and successfully implement meaningful learning experiences for students.

8. Instructional​ ​Strategies: Use a variety of active learning strategies to develop students' thinking, problem solving and learning skills.

9. Professional​ ​Learning​ ​and​ ​Ethical​ ​Practice: Reflect and evaluate the effects of his or her choices and actions and actively seek opportunities to grow professionally.

10. Leadership​ ​and​ ​Collaboration: Establish and maintain strong working relationships with parents and members of the school community to support student learning.

Advanced Degree Institutional Learning Objectives (ILO) Version 8

Everyone associated with the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa should understand that it is a Hawaiian Place of Learning. Institutional learning objectives (ILOs) encompass the University of Hawaii at Mānoa graduate experience as a whole, academic and co-curricular. It is through the combined effort of faculty, staff, students, and administrators that students achieve the ILOs. ILOs are a way to envision what graduate programs want students to know, do, and value by the time they graduate. 

Knowledge and Understanding

1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge in one or more general subject areas related to, but not confined to, a specific area of interest.

2. Demonstrate understanding of research methodology and techniques specific to one’s field of study.

Intellectual and Applied Skills

3. Apply research methodology and/or scholarly inquiry techniques specific to one’s field of study.

4. Critically analyze, synthesize, and utilize information and data related to one’s field of study.

Communication Skills

5. Proficiently communicate and disseminate information in a manner relevant to the field and intended audience.

Professional Responsibility

6. Conduct research or projects as a responsible and ethical professional, including consideration of and respect for other cultural perspectives.

7. Interact professionally with others.

Standards Based Outcomes and Performance-Based Pedagogy

The MEdT program is designed to address the following national, state and university standards and performance-based pedagogy outcomes for state-of-the-art teacher certification. Please access the hyperlinks below for a complete description of the standards accessed at each organization’s website.

Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) 

https://aaqep.org/standards

Hawai`i State Teacher Performance Standards

https://hawaiiteacherstandardsboard.org/content/teacher-performance-standards/

Common Core Standards

http://www.corestandards.org/

Hawai`i General Learner Outcomes (GLO)

http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/TeachingAndLearning/StudentLearning/LearnerOutcomes/Pages/home.aspx

Nā Hopena Aʻo

http://bit.ly/HopenaAo

Secondary Content Standards

Secondary teacher candidates use standards in their specific content or subject area: English (NCTE), Mathematics (NCTM), Science (NSTA) and Social Studies (NCSS). Please access the hyperlinks for complete information regarding Specialized Professional Association (SPA) specific standards.

NCSS – National Council for the Social Studies Standards

http://www.ncss.org/standards/

NCTE – National Council for Teachers of English

http://www.ncte.org/standards

NCTM – National Council for Teachers of Mathematics

http://standards.nctm.org/

NSTA – National Science Teachers Association

http://www.nsta.org/preservice