In light of teacher shortage in many western countries (OECD, 2005), evidence on low levels of measured ability of students studying in teacher education institutions and of those who enter and stay in teaching (Guarino et al., 2006) and reports on high proportion of unqualified and out-of-field teachers (Ingersoll, 2003), many countries initiated teacher preparation programs targeting university graduates, which already possess first degree in areas similar to those studied in school.

The assumption was that these entrants with higher ability scores, knowledgeable and more mature, might show more commitment, will stay in teaching for longer periods of time and will subsequently improve learning and students' achievement.

These types of teacher preparation programs represent a consecutive model of initial teacher education. Often, this model occurs in universities, although it is also carried by teacher college' that typically offer a concurrent model of teacher education. The two models differ. In the consecutive model, the professional training in pedagogy and teaching is taken after students had completed a first degree in a discipline related to subjects taught in schools. In the concurrent model, the academic subjects are taught alongside the educational and pedagogical studies throughout the preparation period.

Both models have their advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages of one model are considered the advantages of the other and vice versa. The consecutive model is considered to offer stronger subject matter preparation. It allows for flexible entry into teacher education and accommodate more readily to changes in student interests and labor market conditions. Yet, this model provides a less integrated learning experience between the discipline and the pedagogical studies, and a shorter period of socialization into the profession. On the other hand, the concurrent model offers a more integrated learning experience but requires a fairly early career decision from people who are also less mature and less knowledgeable.

As both models possess distinctive benefits, countries gain more by offering the two models rather than relying on a single one (e.g. Austria, Australia, the Czech Republic, England, Finland, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland,  Scotland and the Slovak republic) (OECD, 2005; Musset, 2010).

In the past few years there has been a massive growth in the number of university graduates who turn into teaching via the consecutive model. This phenomenon was noted in many countries (Marinell & Moore Johnson, 2014; Heinz, 2008; General Teaching Council for England, 2006) including Israel where half of the graduates of teacher colleges nowadays studied in the consecutive model (Ministry of Education, 2012).

Although the two models are widely used, no study was carried out to compare and evaluate them on a national and longitudinal scale in terms of teacher integration into the profession, retention over time and professional development (Boyd et al. 2011).

Taking the opportunity that the two models exist in teacher colleges in Israel which are the main suppliers of prospect teachers, the present study aims to meet this challenge and compare the effectiveness of the two models.

The study intended to follow the entry and integration into teaching of those who completed the concurrent model (B.Ed. students) with those who completed the consecutive model (the university graduates students).

The study compares graduates of the concurrent model with university graduates of the consecutive model.

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