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Emerging Trends in Teacher Education: A Study

Dr. Rushi B. Joshi
2061-C-2-B,
Sanskar Mandal,
Bhavnagar-364002.

Received March 02, 2015 Accepted March 06, 2015

ABSTRACT A quality teacher’s education program is rational and streamlined to

address some specific pedagogical issues. Basically, it elucidates the idea about what good
teaching is all about and then how it organizes course work and all practical experiences
around it. Teacher’s education courses are very much connected to practice as well as to
theory. A good teacher’s training programs have teachers working continuously with
expert master teachers in a traditional classroom or virtual setting to enhance the
knowledge and experience base. Teacher education is a program related with teacher
proficiency and competence that would make them competent enough to face new
challenges in the education. Now a days the field of education is not only limited with
books but has broadened in various new horizons. It demands understanding with
investigative minds, assimilating the required transformations, accommodating and
responding to the universal needs. This main purpose of this paper is to indicate main
changes that has incurred in teacher education in India and also provide an overview of
trends, reforms and innovations in teacher education across the Globe. It also discusses the
need of teacher education program to be innovative and various practices that can be
included. It has been recognized that teacher education program should be structured and
modified in a way that enables them to respond dynamically to the new problems and
challenges in the field of education, then only teacher can help in national development.
Key words : trends, teacher education.
There have been changes in the perceptions Being open and informal from time to time
of education in recent years - and this has can actually add to your professionalism.
been partially due to the new flows of
Improving Teachers’ Skill by Doing
information and teacher resources which can
Research
be found in the form of the Internet. Because
of how our financial situation is brittle and Teaching has gone a long way from
because of how there are challenges which the traditional lecturer-listener system.
remain in our society, there have been Today, teachers are not just lecturers, but
arguments regarding whether or not teaching guides; students are not just listeners but co-
should be professionalized - and whether or explorers of knowledge. Education has
not this is good value for money. Those who become more interactive and experiential for
commentate in the world of education now both parties. Thus, teaching skills have also
believe that you need to have so much more if evolved, with more techniques available for
you are going to be an effective teacher. teachers to use. Fortunately, there is one
Teaching your lessons is no longer enough method that helps a teacher see the aspects of
because of how those who spend time in a his or her teaching that need improvement.
classroom with students are expected to look This method is research, particularly
out for a number of different things - Classroom Action Research. In its broadest
including a depressive or negative sense, research is itself helpful when a
teacher is trying to introduce concepts to
personality in one of the students, or even
students. Teachers who do their own
signs of abuse in some severe circumstances.
research on the topics they teach, instead of
depending on textbooks, can gain a much
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better understanding of those topics. As a and forums. There are also more substantial
result, they can be more effective in sharing school activities done over the internet. For
the knowledge with students. instance, absentee teachers may create online
tutorials for students, so they would not have
Classroom Action Research (CAR) is
to miss a learning session. Some major
more specific than basic research, and it is
projects also require the use of online
more concerned on the teaching process itself
journals and blogs for documentation and the
than on the topics taught. In a nutshell, a CAR
like. There are even those that experiment
is a form of practitioner research on the
with the creation and maintenance of
current situation of a class. That means that
websites for the exclusive use of the class. In
the practitioner - the teacher - is the one who
the end, that's what every bit of educational
conducts active research on what his or her
evolution boils down to: a journey towards
class truly needs. Since the CAR is a
the best quality of education possible for the
practitioner research, meaning done by one
younger generation.
teacher for a particular class, it may produce
unique results that can be discussed among Collaborative Learning
the teaching staff.
Collaborative Learning; a system in
Classroom Action Research is truly helpful for which two or more people cooperate in a
teachers to find out what the students need. learning experience to share and contribute
But more importantly, it is a tool for them to to each member's understanding of a topic
identify what they themselves need to and to complete a given task. Sharing
improve on when it comes to their teaching information and connecting with others —
skills. This identification is the first step whether we know them personally or not has
towards better teaching, and consequently, a proven to be a powerful tool in education.
better quality of education. Students are collaborating with each other
through social media to learn more about
E - Learning
specific subjects, to test out ideas and
Information technology has long past theories, to learn facts, and to gauge each
dawned, and knowledge of it is now others’ opinions.
considered almost as a basic necessity. It is
Collaboration is a natural part of life
no wonder then that schools have begun
and should be included in the curriculum.
using computers during classes, whether for
Sometimes teachers will build a lesson
basic tasks such as student report
designed specifically to teach collaborative
presentations or even for crucial activities
learning and teamwork. There are many
such as exams. Teachers giving out electronic
teambuilding games and activities that can be
quizzes are hardly new today. To
done in a classroom that force students to
complement the use of computers, various
work together to complete a task. In this
types of software are available. The most
scenario, students can learn just as much as if
basic ones are the word processors,
they were developing a presentation on their
spreadsheet creators, and presentation
own, but they get the added benefit of
programs. Then there are more specialized
learning how to collaborate. Collaborative
ones such as attendance trackers, educational
learning is on the rise in our classrooms.
games, and graphic organizers. With
Done correctly, it is be a great opportunity to
computers, the use of the internet predictably
break up the monopoly of the lecture, teach
follows. And with this classroom innovation
teamwork to our students, and help them to
comes an endless world of possibilities. Notes
become more productive members of society
can be recorded, uploaded, and shared on the
in the future.
spot. More communication channels are
opened up than ever before. Some classes Constructive Learning Theory
even utilize social networks for
Constructivism learning theory is a
communications, as evident in online groups
philosophy which enhances students' logical
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and conceptual growth. The role of teachers 5. Paraphrase - give students a passage of a
is very important within the constructivism book or article and have them explain it in
learning theory. Instead of giving a lecture their own words. This is similar to synthesis
the teachers in this theory function as in that it forces students to understand the
facilitators whose role is to aid the student passage rather than memorizing it.
when it comes to their own understanding.
6. Debate - give students a topic (something
This takes away focus from the teacher and
as non-controversial as possible to start) and
lecture and puts it upon the student and their
have one group of students debate one side of
learning. The resources and lesson plans that
the argument and another debate the
must be initiated for this learning theory take
opposite. Make sure that there are some strict
a very different approach toward traditional
guidelines in order to avoid the degradation
learning as well. Teachers following Piaget's
of the debate into a heated fight.
theory of constructivism must challenge the
student by making them effective critical These types of activities can be used
thinkers and not being merely a "teacher" but in any classroom for any subject, and if used
also a mentor, a consultant, and a coach. correctly can result in a higher level of
thinking for our students, a lofty and worthy
Improving Critical Thinking Skills
goal for any teacher.
Critical thinking is paramount to the
Global Education
development of students and should be the
goal of all teachers no matter what subject Global education aims to help pick up
they teach. Teachers should consider building children and to give them a boost, putting
critical thinking skills in all the rubrics and them on an even footing despite their
lesson plans hey use in their classrooms. unprivileged background. Global education
Critical thinking skills can be taught in any can also be founded on international affairs,
classroom and any subject with a little as the name would suggest. It aims to make
creativity. Check out the following tips for students who have this concept running
improving critical thinking in students. through their curriculum more curious about
life and about the various intricacies which
1. Deep analysis - Take something that
are associated with it. It aims to allow those
students see often and take for granted, and
who are being taught to think about how
have them analyze it more deeply. For
their actions and how they live their lives has
example, if a class says the pledge of
an impact on the world in a far bigger scale
allegiance every morning, one day have them
than they might have imagined beforehand. It
spend some time answering some questions
is a different way of thinking for young
about what it means and why we say it.
people which could be used in their everyday
3. Evaluation - Give the students a concept lives, helping them to make sense of the
and allow them to evaluate its merit, giving different challenges which are faced in the
supporting reasons why they think it is good world.
or bad. This makes students think beyond
Multicultural Education
what someone has told them or what they
feel to the logic of an argument. This can even If anything, multicultural education
be done in a group if it is too difficult for the has been needed because of how some
students to come up with several reasons on teachers have been finding it difficult to
their own. relate the curriculum to the children they
teach. This might be because in cities and
4. Synthesis - give students two or more
towns, an educator is far more likely to teach
articles on a topic, and have them put the
larger levels of children who are from a
information together in a summary. This
multicultural background. Experts believe
exercise forces students to truly comprehend
this type of education would be progressive,
the material in an article instead of simply
preventing young people from being made
memorizing it.
the victim of assumptions that can denote
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them as unprivileged just because they are ensure the benefits of successful approaches
ethnically diverse. In multicultural education, are spread widely.
there can be more of an emphasis on
The current policy focus on initial
diffusing any of the prejudice or
teacher education presents a major
misinformation that one student might have
opportunity to significantly improve this
about their ethnically-diverse classmates.
critical component of a high quality education
This can allow teachers and students to
system. Examination of existing effective
celebrate the diverse culture that India is
practices can provide a strong foundation for
based upon. Through being challenging and
further reform. Since the teacher is the pivot
interesting in lesson plans, teachers can help
of the entire educational system and is the
students to grasp an understanding regarding
main catalytic agent for introducing desirable
culture. Even if there are few or no ethnic
changes in the teaching learning process, all
minority students in an elementary school,
attempts need be made for motivating
this situation can change for many students
teachers to become innovative and creative. It
in the next step forward in their educational
goes without saying that a self motivated and
career.
really industrious teacher can utilize his own
It is a fascinating topic, and the resources to keep himself abreast of new
message which it conveys is quite easy to get knowledge and skills. It has been recognized
across to those who are looking to make a that teacher education program should be
difference with the people they teach. It is all structured and modified in a way that enables
about being open to new ideas, and sharing them to respond dynamically to the new
this with students. problems and challenges in the field of
education, then only teacher can help in
Conclusion
national development.
Examination of case studies and literature
References
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Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because

your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely
what others think you are.
– John Wooden.
Research Paper IJRAR- International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews 12