14019 Teachers in a Changing World: Trends and Challenges

Credits: 4 graduate credits in Education / Learning Systems or in Educational Administration, Policy and Leadership

Prerequisites for Education: Technologies and Learning Systems: Research Methods in Education, Curriculum Development and Implementation, Theories of Learning and Instruction, Evaluation in Education: Theory and Practice

Prerequisites for Educational Administration: Research Methods in Education, Theories of Learning and Instruction, Evaluation in Education: Theory and Practice

The course is based on Teachers in a Changing World: Trends and Challenges, edited by S. Guri-Rosenblit (The Open University, 2004, Hebrew) and two readers edited by Sarah Guri-Rosenblit and Dvora Ben-Shir.

The course deals with issues, problems and challenges facing teachers today. In recent decades, education systems throughout the world have undergone developments and reforms as a result of social, economic, political and technological changes. Some of these rapid and intensive changes are related to worldwide trends while others stem from a combination of unique local circumstances. Together, they have a profound effect on teachers’ role, status, professional identity, training methods, professional development, etc. Today, more than ever before, teachers must have a command of broad range of knowledge fields and skills as part of their different roles as experts in pedagogy, teaching, learning and specific knowledge fields, and as implementers and even developers of new curricula, actors in modern technological environments and partners in complex evaluation processes. Teachers must fill these roles while adjusting to the expectations and demands of a variety of stakeholders in the educational field: teachers, pupils, parents, school principals, curriculum developers as well as various entities related to political and municipal authorities that influence educational activities, on different levels.

Topics: Teacher training and professional development in an age of change; The integration of learning technologies in teaching and learning; Assessment and reflection in teaching processes; Teaching fields of knowledge.