Initial teacher education programmes in transition: Tensions and possibilities

Authors
Abstract

Initial teacher education (ITE) programmes need to accommodate the contemporary demands of their education systems and pre-empt the qualities that teachers will require in the future. ITE programmes are currently in transition, facing changes in society and societal expectations, changing concepts about knowledge and its uses, changing roles for teachers and changes to teaching and learning approaches. These must all be accommodated within the constraints faced by tertiary providers of ITE as they cope with competing demands. The influences and demands placed upon them call be viewed as a tension between forging and constraining the development of quality ITE programmes. This paper discusses these tensions in New Zealand ITE provision and considers the possibilities through the lens of a futures-focused multinational research initiative. The Teacher Education for the Future Project is an example of how providers might identify the essential "qualities" required of teachers and enhance "quality" ITE programmes in and for the 21st century.

Downloads
Citation
Conner, L. (2009). Initial teacher education programmes in transition: Tensions and possibilities. Curriculum Matters, 5, 121–137. https://doi.org/10.18296/cm.0116
Purchase the full text download for this article or subscribe
NZ$25.00