What is Teacher Education?

1 Teacher education refers to the policies and procedures designed to equip prospective teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and skills they require to perform their tasks effectively in the classroom, school and wider community. Wiki

It is simply the process of providing teachers with the knowledge and skills required to become effective teachers. Four elements are usually required:

•  Improved general educational background
•  Increasing knowledge and understanding of subjects
•   Fostering the understanding of children and how they learn in order to improve instruction
•   Acquiring practical skills and competences

Teacher education however need not be static but should rather reflect the changing dynamics of the world around us. Teacher development needs to therefore be continuous and span teachers’ entire professional lives. In the United States, while teachers need to have completed teacher education programs in order to teach, they are still required to take certain number of professional development or continuing education courses. Below are some of the requirements for teachers in the U.S.

•  Completion of Teacher Education Program
•   Student Teaching
•  Effective Presentation Skills
•   Hands-on Classroom Education
•   Continuing education courses

Education is a transformational tool and a key agent for change. Teacher training and education programs thus have the potential to engineer change in educational systems, change that will not only impact the teachers but will also shape the knowledge of future generations.

What Are the Goals of Teacher Education Programs?

•  Educate teachers
•   Provide continuous professional development
•   Keep teacher knowledge and skills current
•  Design teacher education curricula
•  Engage in research
•   Provide expert advice to educators and institutions
•   Provide certification pathways

HOW DO ADULTS LEARN?

Adults tend to learn best when they can make sense of knowledge and experiences. Sense-making as a process involves making up our own minds rather than have others make them up for us. It involves creating our own values, beliefs and judgments. As teacher educators, understanding how adults learn can assist in creating teacher education programs that are sustainable and create agents of change.

Self-Directed Learning

Self-directed learning (SDL) is an adult learning theory, which suggests that adults learn best when they are part of the learning process.  One of the goals of SDL is to encourage and foster self-directed potential in adults. In other words, adults should be made responsible for their own learning.

A second goal of SDL is to encourage transformational learning (Brookfield, 1986, Mezirow, 1985), learning that calls for critical reflection. Critical reflection is the understanding of the various historical, cultural, and biographical factors behind our interests and actions (Mezirow, 1985).

A third goal of SDL is the promotion of a liberating learning and social action. it is our job as adult educators "to assist adults to learn in a way that enhances their capability to function as self- directed learners" (Mezirow, 1981, p. 137).

As adult learners, learning takes place with certain contexts or “frame of reference”. The contexts are usually the sum of experiences that have shaped their beliefs and actions and are the windows through which they look at the world. This view creates the tendency to reject or regard with suspicion ideas that do not fit in with their frames of reference.

Frames of reference are made up of two dimensions:

1.    Habits of mind.

2.    Points of view

Habits of Mind

Habits of mind are long lasting impressions informed by cultural, social, educational, economic, political, and psychological factors. It is a collection of judgments, beliefs and behavior that shape thought patterns. Habits of mind are not easily changed.

Points of View

Points of view are more changeable than habits of mind. While points of view may result from habits of mind, they can change or be modified through reflection, particularly when trying to understand outcomes that are different from what was expected.

Brainstorm Activity (Habits of Mind and Points of View)

How can we change habits of mind?

References

Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New directions     for adult and continuing education, 1997(74), 5-12.