What do Postsecondary Teachers Do

Postsecondary Teachers

Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and vocational subjects beyond the high school level. Most of these students are working toward a degree, but many others are studying for a certificate or certification to improve their knowledge or career skills. Postsecondary teachers include college and university faculty, postsecondary career and technical education teachers, and graduate teaching assistants. Teaching in any venue involves forming a lesson plan, presenting material to students, responding to students learning needs, and evaluating students’ progress. In addition to teaching, postsecondary teachers, particularly those at 4-year colleges and universities, perform a significant amount of research in the subject they teach. They also must keep up with new developments in their field and may consult with government, business, nonprofit, and community organizations.

College and university faculty make up the majority of postsecondary teachers. Faculty usually are organized into departments or divisions based on academic subject or field. They typically teach several related courses in their subject—algebra, calculus, and statistics, for example. They may instruct undergraduate or graduate students or both. College and university faculty may give lectures to several hundred students in large halls, lead small seminars, or supervise students in laboratories. They prepare lectures, exercises, and laboratory experiments; grade exams and papers; and advise and work with students individually. In universities, they also supervise graduate students' teaching and research. College faculty work with an increasingly varied student population made up of growing shares of part-time, older, and culturally and racially diverse students.

Faculty keep up with developments in their field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. They also are encouraged to do their own research to expand knowledge in their field by performing experiments, collecting and analyzing data, or examining original documents, literature, and other source material. They publish their findings in scholarly journals, books, and electronic media.

Most postsecondary teachers use computer technology extensively, including the Internet, e-mail, and software programs. They may use computers in the classroom as teaching aids and may post course content, class notes, class schedules, and other information on the Internet. The use of e-mail, instant messages, and other computer utilities has improved communications greatly between students and teachers.

Some instructors use the Internet to teach courses to students at remote sites. These distance-learning courses are becoming an increasingly popular option for students who work while attending school. Faculty who teach these courses must be able to adapt existing courses to make them successful online or design a new course that takes advantage of the online format.

Most full-time faculty members serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with the policies of their institution, departmental matters, academic issues, curricula, budgets, purchases of equipment, and hiring. Some work with student and community organizations. Department chairpersons are faculty members who usually teach some courses but have heavier administrative responsibilities.

The proportion of time spent on research, teaching, administrative, and other duties varies by individual circumstance and type of institution. The teaching load often is heavier in 2-year colleges and somewhat lighter at 4-year institutions. At all types of institutions, full professors—those who have reached the highest level in their field—usually spend a larger portion of their time conducting research than do assistant professors, instructors, and lecturers.

An increasing number of postsecondary educators are working in alternative schools or in programs aimed at providing career-related education for working adults. Courses usually are offered online or on nights and weekends. Instructors at these programs generally work part time and are responsible only for teaching, with little to no administrative and research responsibilities.

Graduate teaching assistants, often referred to as graduate TAs, assist faculty, department chairs, or other professional staff at colleges and universities by teaching or performing teaching-related duties. In addition, assistants have their own school commitments as students working toward earning a graduate degree, such as a Ph.D. Some teaching assistants have full responsibility for teaching a course, usually one that is introductory. Such teaching can include preparing lectures and exams, as well as assigning final grades to students. Others help faculty members by doing a variety of tasks such as grading papers, monitoring exams, holding office hours or help sessions for students, conducting laboratory sessions, and administering quizzes to the class. Because each faculty member has his or her own needs, teaching assistants generally meet initially with the faculty member whom they are going to assist in order to determine exactly what is expected of them. For example, some faculty members prefer assistants to sit in on classes, whereas others assign them other tasks to do during class time. Graduate teaching assistants may work one-on-one with a faculty member, or, in large classes, they may be one of several assistants.

Work Environment

Postsecondary teachers held about 1.3 million jobs in 2020. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up postsecondary teachers was distributed as follows:

  1. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary - 242,700
  2. Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary - 109,300
  3. Business teachers, postsecondary - 96,500
  4. English language and literature teachers, postsecondary - 75,000
  5. Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary - 72,600
  6. Education teachers, postsecondary - 70,000
  7. Biological science teachers, postsecondary - 60,500
  8. Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary - 56,100
  9. Engineering teachers, postsecondary - 46,300
  10. Psychology teachers, postsecondary - 44,100
  11. Computer science teachers, postsecondary - 37,800
  12. Communications teachers, postsecondary - 33,600
  13. Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary - 29,000
  14. Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary - 27,100
  15. Chemistry teachers, postsecondary - 25,600
  16. History teachers, postsecondary - 24,400
  17. Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other - 19,500
  18. Law teachers, postsecondary - 18,900
  19. Political science teachers, postsecondary - 18,400
  20. Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary - 17,000
  21. Social work teachers, postsecondary - 16,600
  22. Physics teachers, postsecondary - 16,500
  23. Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary - 16,100
  24. Economics teachers, postsecondary - 16,000
  25. Sociology teachers, postsecondary - 15,900
  26. Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary - 13,600
  27. Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary - 12,100
  28. Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary - 9,900
  29. Architecture teachers, postsecondary - 8,500
  30. Environmental science teachers, postsecondary - 7,100
  31. Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary - 6,700
  32. Library science teachers, postsecondary - 5,000
  33. Geography teachers, postsecondary - 4,400
  34. Family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary - 2,600
  35. Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary - 1,700

The largest employers of postsecondary teachers were as follows:

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools; private - 39%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state - 38%
  • Junior colleges; local - 11%
  • Junior colleges; state - 6%

Postsecondary teachers often find it rewarding to share their expertise with students and colleagues. However, it may be stressful, especially for beginning teachers seeking advancement, to balance teaching duties with an emphasis on research and publication. At the community college level, professors are more likely to focus on teaching students.

Work Schedules

Most postsecondary teachers work full time, although part-time work is common. Postsecondary teachers who work part time may offer instruction at several colleges or universities. Some have a full-time job in their field of expertise in addition to a part-time teaching position. For example, an active lawyer or judge might teach an evening course at a law school.

College and university courses are generally during the day, although some are offered in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate students who have jobs or other obligations.

Academic calendars typically include breaks, such as between terms. The availability and type of course offerings during the summer vary by institution. Although some postsecondary teachers provide instruction in summer courses, others use the time to conduct research or engage in professional development.

Postsecondary teachers’ schedules generally are flexible. Full-time teachers typically need to be on campus to teach classes and have office hours but otherwise are free to set their own schedules.

Education & Training Required

Four-year colleges and universities usually require candidates for full-time, tenure-track positions to hold a doctoral degree. However, they may hire master's degree holders or doctoral candidates for certain disciplines, such as the arts, or for part-time and temporary jobs.

Doctoral programs take an average of 6 years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree, including time spent completing a master's degree and a dissertation. Some programs, such as those in the humanities, may take longer to complete; others, such as those in engineering, usually are shorter. Candidates specialize in a subfield of a discipline—for example, organic chemistry, counseling psychology, or European history—and also take courses covering the entire discipline. Programs typically include 20 or more increasingly specialized courses and seminars, plus comprehensive examinations in all major areas of the field. Candidates also must complete a dissertation—a paper on original research in the candidate's major field of study. The dissertation sets forth an original hypothesis or proposes a model and tests it. Students in the natural sciences and engineering often do theoretical or laboratory work; in the humanities, they study original documents and other published material. The dissertation is done under the guidance of one or more faculty advisors and usually takes 1 or 2 years of full-time work.

In 2-year colleges, master's degree holders fill most full-time teaching positions. However, in certain fields where there may be more applicants than available jobs, institutions can be more selective in their hiring practices. In these fields, master's degree holders may be passed over in favor of candidates holding Ph.D.s. Many 2-year institutions increasingly prefer job applicants to have some teaching experience or experience with distance learning. Preference also may be given to those holding dual master's degrees, especially at smaller institutions, because those with dual degrees can teach more subjects.

Other Skills Required

Postsecondary teachers should communicate and relate well with students, enjoy working with them, and be able to motivate them. They should have inquiring and analytical minds and a strong desire to pursue and disseminate knowledge. In addition, they must be self-motivated and able to work in an environment in which they receive little direct supervision.

Obtaining a position as a graduate teaching assistant is a good way to gain college teaching experience. To qualify, candidates must be enrolled in a graduate school program. In addition, some colleges and universities require teaching assistants to attend classes or take some training prior to being given responsibility for a course.

Although graduate teaching assistants usually work at the institution and in the department where they are earning their degree, teaching or internship positions for graduate students at institutions that do not grant a graduate degree have become more common in recent years. For example, a program called Preparing Future Faculty, administered by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the Council of Graduate Schools, has led to the creation of many programs that are now independent. These programs offer graduate students at research universities the opportunity to work as teaching assistants at other types of institutions, such as liberal arts or community colleges. Working with a mentor, graduate students teach classes and learn how to improve their teaching techniques. They may attend faculty and committee meetings, develop a curriculum, and learn how to balance the teaching, research, and administrative roles of faculty. These programs provide valuable learning opportunities for graduate students interested in teaching at the postsecondary level and also help to make these students aware of the differences among the various types of institutions at which they may someday work.

Some degree holders, particularly those with degrees in the natural sciences, do postdoctoral research before taking a faculty position. Some Ph.D.s are able to extend postdoctoral appointments or take new ones if they are unable to find a faculty job. Most of these appointments offer a nominal salary.

How to Advance

For faculty a major goal in the traditional academic career is attaining tenure, which can take approximately 7 years, with faculty moving up the ranks in tenure-track positions as they meet specific criteria. The ranks are instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Colleges and universities usually hire new tenure-track faculty as instructors or assistant professors under term contracts. At the end of the period, their record of teaching, research, and overall contribution to the institution is reviewed, and tenure may be granted if the review is favorable. Those denied tenure usually must leave the institution. Tenured professors cannot be fired without just cause and due process. Tenure protects the faculty member's academic freedom - the ability to advocate controversial or unpopular ideas through teaching and conducting research without fear of being fired. Tenure also gives both faculty and institutions the stability needed for effective research and teaching, and it provides financial security for faculty. Some institutions have adopted post-tenure review policies to encourage ongoing evaluation of tenured faculty.

The number of tenure-track positions is declining as institutions seek flexibility in dealing with financial matters and changing student interests. Institutions are relying more heavily on limited-term contracts and part-time, or adjunct, faculty, thus shrinking the total pool of tenured faculty. Limited-term contracts, typically for 2 to 5 years, may be terminated or extended when they expire and generally do not lead to the granting of tenure. In addition, some institutions have limited the percentage of the faculty that can be tenured.

For tenured postsecondary teachers, further advancement involves a move into an administrative or managerial position, such as departmental chairperson, dean, or president. At 4-year institutions, such advancement requires a doctoral degree. At 2-year colleges, a doctorate is helpful but not usually required for advancement, except for advancement to some top administrative positions, which generally required a doctorate.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of postsecondary teachers is projected to grow 12 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.

About 139,600 openings for postsecondary teachers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Projected employment of postsecondary teachers varies by occupation. Both part-time and full-time postsecondary teachers are included in these projections.

The number of people attending postsecondary institutions is expected to grow over the projections decade. Students will continue to seek higher education to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to meet their career goals. As more people enter colleges and universities, more postsecondary teachers will be needed to serve these additional students. Colleges and universities are likely to hire more part-time teachers to meet this demand. In all disciplines, there is expected to be a limited number of full-time nontenure and full-time tenure positions.

As an aging population increasingly demands healthcare services, additional postsecondary teachers are expected to be needed to help educate the workers who provide these services.

However, despite expected increases in enrollment, employment growth in public colleges and universities will depend on state and local government budgets. If budgets for higher education are reduced, employment growth may be limited.

Earnings

The median annual wage for postsecondary teachers was $79,640 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $46,690, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $172,130.

Median annual wages for postsecondary teachers in May 2021 were as follows:

  • Law teachers, postsecondary - $123,470
  • Engineering teachers, postsecondary - $104,940
  • Economics teachers, postsecondary - $104,940
  • Health specialties teachers, postsecondary - $102,720
  • Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary - $98,070
  • Anthropology and archeology teachers, postsecondary - $97,340
  • Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary - $95,910
  • Architecture teachers, postsecondary - $95,160
  • Business teachers, postsecondary - $94,360
  • Physics teachers, postsecondary - $93,070
  • Forestry and conservation science teachers, postsecondary - $82,330
  • Political science teachers, postsecondary - $81,980
  • Environmental science teachers, postsecondary - $81,980
  • Geography teachers, postsecondary - $81,440
  • Biological science teachers, postsecondary - $81,440
  • Family and consumer sciences teachers, postsecondary - $79,630
  • Chemistry teachers, postsecondary - $79,410
  • Area, ethnic, and cultural studies teachers, postsecondary - $78,910
  • History teachers, postsecondary - $78,130
  • Sociology teachers, postsecondary - $77,980
  • Computer science teachers, postsecondary - $77,910
  • Psychology teachers, postsecondary - $77,860
  • Philosophy and religion teachers, postsecondary - $77,610
  • Mathematical science teachers, postsecondary - $77,580
  • Communications teachers, postsecondary - $77,560
  • Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other - $77,500
  • Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary - $77,440
  • Library science teachers, postsecondary - $77,100
  • Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary - $77,030
  • Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary - $75,940
  • English language and literature teachers, postsecondary - $75,930
  • Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary - $72,440
  • Social work teachers, postsecondary - $71,010
  • Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary - $64,600
  • Education teachers, postsecondary - $63,910

In May 2021, the median annual wages for postsecondary teachers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state - $81,250
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools; private - $79,820
  • Junior colleges; local - $79,810
  • Junior colleges; state - $63,590

Wages vary by institution type. Postsecondary teachers typically have higher wages in colleges, universities, and professional schools than they do in community colleges or other types of schools.

Most postsecondary teachers work full time, although part-time work is common. Postsecondary teachers who work part time may offer instruction at several colleges or universities. Some have a full-time job in their field of expertise in addition to a part-time teaching position. For example, an active lawyer or judge might teach an evening course at a law school.

College and university courses are generally during the day, although some are offered in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate students who have jobs or other obligations.

Academic calendars typically include breaks, such as between terms. The availability and type of course offerings during the summer vary by institution. Although some postsecondary teachers provide instruction in summer courses, others use the time to conduct research or engage in professional development.

Postsecondary teachers’ schedules generally are flexible. Full-time teachers typically need to be on campus to teach classes and have office hours but otherwise are free to set their own schedules.

Academic Programs of Interest


African Studies
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African-American Studies
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American History
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American Literature
The study of American Literature refers to written or literary work produced in the area of the United States and Colonial America. While majoring in American Literature, you can expect to encounter such literary luminaries as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, Washington Irving, William Cullen Bryant, James Fenimore Cooper, and Edgar Allan Poe. more
American Studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It incorporates the study of economics, history, literature, art, the media, film, urban studies, women's studies, and culture of the United States, among other fields. more
Ancient Studies
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Arabic
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Architectural History
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Asian History
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Asian-American Studies
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Biblical Studies
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Buddhist Studies
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Business Education
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Canadian Studies
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Caribbean Studies
Caribbean Studies is a Collegiate study of Caribbean culture, Caribbean languages, literature, agriculture, history, and their government and politics. Most universities recommend that students take a double major (i.e. Political Science, International Relations), if not included in the course. Some careers for students who take Caribbean Studies include the foreign service and working at Caribbean embassies. more
Celtic Studies
Celtic Studies is the academic discipline occupied with the study of any sort of cultural output relating to a Celtic people. This ranges from archaeology to history, the focus lying on the study of the various Celtic languages, living and extinct. The primary areas of focus are the six Celtic languages which still survive, or have only recently become extinct: Irish, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Manx,... more
Chinese
About one-sixth of the world's population, or over 1 billion people, speak some form of Chinese as their native language. The standardized form of spoken Chinese is Standard Mandarin, based on the Beijing dialect. Standard Mandarin is the official language of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China in Taiwan, as well as one of four official languages of Singapore. Chinese - Standard... more
Classics
Classics or Classical Studies is the branch of the Humanities dealing with the languages, literature, history, art, and other aspects of the ancient Mediterranean world; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during the time known as classical antiquity, roughly spanning from the Ancient Greek Bronze Age in 1000 BC to the Dark Ages circa AD 500. The study of the Classics was the initial field... more
Comparative Literature
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East Asian Studies
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Education
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Educational Psychology
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English
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English Composition
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English Literature
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Ethnic Studies
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European History
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French
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German
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Hebrew
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and by an unknown number of people in Jewish communities around the world. In Israel, it is the de facto language of the state and the people, as well as being one of the two official languages (together with Arabic), and it is spoken by the... more
Hindi
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Hispanic-American Studies
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History
History is the study of the past, focused on human activity and leading up to the present day. This study is facilitated by the formation of a 'true discourse of past'. The modern discipline of History is dedicated to the institutional production of this discourse. More precisely, history is the continuous, systematic narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as... more
Islamic Studies
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Japanese
Japanese is a language spoken by over 130 million people, in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities around the world. It is an agglutinative language and is distinguished by a complex system of honorifics reflecting the hierarchical nature of Japanese society, with verb forms and particular vocabulary to indicate the relative status of speaker, listener and the person mentioned in conversation. The sound inventory of... more
Jewish Studies
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Korean
Korean is the official language of both North Korea and South Korea. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China. There are about 80 million Korean speakers, with large groups in various Post-Soviet states, as well as in other diaspora populations in China, Australia, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Japan, and more recently, the Philippines. more
Latin American Studies
Latin American Studies is an academic discipline which studies the history and experience of peoples and cultures in the Americas. Latin America has been studied in one way or another ever since Columbus's "discovery" of 1492, and even before. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, scientist explorers such as Alexander von Humboldt published extensively about the region. Towards the end of the nineteenth century and... more
Middle Eastern Studies
Middle Eastern studies is a name given to a number of academic programs associated with the study of the culture, politics, economy, and geography of the Middle East, an area that is generally interpreted to cover a range of nations extending from North Africa in the west to the Chinese frontier, including Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and multiple other nations. It... more
Music History
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Native American Studies
Native American Studies is an academic discipline that studies the experience of people of Native American ancestry in America. Closely related to other Ethnic studies disciplines such as African American studies, Asian American Studies, and Latino Studies, Native American Studies critically examines the history, culture, politics, issues, and experiences of Native Americans. Drawing from numerous disciplines such as sociology, history, literature, political science, and gender... more
Philosophy
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Physical Education
A physical education student must like to work with people, be adequately skilled in physical activities, have a commitment to fitness and be interested in the physical, biological and social sciences to be successful in this field. All physical education majors are encouraged to pursue a second major or minor. Most professional teaching preparation programs are designed primarily to meet the needs of those interested... more
Portuguese
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Romance Languages
The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family that comprises all the languages that descend from Latin, the language of the Roman Empire. They have more than 700 million native speakers worldwide, mainly in the Americas, Europe, and Africa, as well as many smaller regions scattered throughout the world. more
Scandinavian Studies
Scandinavian studies is an interdisciplinary academic field of area studies that covers topics related to Scandinavia and the Nordic countries, including their languages, literature, history, culture and society, in countries other than these. The field of Scandinavian studies typically takes the broader definition to include Finland and Finnish language, even though the latter does not belong to the group of North Germanic languages. In Germany,... more
Southeast Asian Studies
Southeast Asia consists of two geographic regions: the Asian mainland, and island arcs and archipelagos to the east and southeast. The mainland section consists of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam; the population of which are primarily Tai peoples and Austroasiatic peoples; the dominant religion is Buddhism, followed by Islam. The maritime section consists of Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. Austronesian... more
Spanish
Spanish is a Romance language originally from the northern area of Spain. From there, its use gradually spread inside the Kingdom of Castile, where it evolved and eventually became the principal language of the government and trade. It was later taken to Africa, the Americas and Asia Pacific in the last five centuries by Spanish explorers and colonists. Today, it is one of the official... more
Teacher Education
A teacher's professional duties may extend beyond formal teaching. Outside of the classroom teachers may accompany students on field trips, supervise study halls, help with the organization of school functions, and serve as supervisors for extracurricular activities. In some education systems, teachers may have responsibility for student discipline. more
Women's Studies
Women's studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to topics concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. It often includes feminist theory, women's history (e.g. a history of women's suffrage) and social history, women's fiction, women's health, and the feminist and gender studies-influenced practice of most of the humanities and social sciences. Women's studies courses are available at many universities and colleges around the world. Many... more