Keeping abreast of changing times and demands in education: implications for teacher education in South Africa - Fanie Pretorius

Since the late 1980s large-scale education reforms have been introduced in various countries in response to increasing pressure to induce change aimed at rectifying the deficiencies in the transmission of knowledge, skills and values required by modern economies. Teachers as well as their trainers have often been singled out as scapegoats for the ills of societies. A barrage of criticism has been levelled at teacher training because of the stubborn refusal of some in the teacher training spehere to question the old orthodoxies and embrace different approaches. However, internationally and locally teachers complain about numerous endemic problems, including a culture that devalues education in many ways, unmotivated learners, a lack of public support and violence in schools. Teachers often feel that teaching in public schools has become a 'living hell'. In this article reserch findings are highlighted that record the response of education systems to the stated situation, with specific reference to how they have modified teacher education. In the light of findings about overseas developments, conclusions concerning judicious future approaches to teacher education are presented. Envisaged strategies include formal partnerships between teacher training personnel and identified reform-minded partner schools, a more rigorous core curriculum in undergraduate programmes, and intensively supervised and extensive clinical experiences. Some critical resarch questions are proposed as it was found that a revitalization of research with regards to teacher education in particular is necessary.
From: SARE, Vol. 14 no. 1/2 (2008)