Teacher Education – what can be done to improve the quality of teacher education in developing contexts?

In order to meet SDG4, teacher education needs to change; courses are too long, too theoretical and do not prepare teachers for the realities of classroom teaching. The drastic overhaul that is required at a systemic level... [ view full abstract ]

In order to meet SDG4, teacher education needs to change; courses are too long, too theoretical and do not prepare teachers for the realities of classroom teaching. The drastic overhaul that is required at a systemic level will take time, political will and investment. Drawing on examples from large-scale international development projects at The Open University, this short presentation will argue that much can be done within current systems to deliver some of the changes that are urgently needed.

The talk will highlight the importance of pedagogy (with examples from TESSA and TESS-India) in a field in which the medium is the message; the opportunities afforded by the technology (with examples from TESS-India, EiA); and how to improve the effectiveness of teaching practice (with examples from TESSA) to support student-teacher learning. This quick-fire talk critically evaluates the evidence which suggests that small successes are stimulating change at an institutional level.