Emerging E-Trends and models in teacher education and professional development

Abstract

With the advent of the knowledge era, teacher education needs to prepare teachers to face the changing technological contexts and to model pedagogies and tools for better forms of learning. Despite much enthusiasm about the roles of technology in education, its role in transforming teacher learning, in ways aligned with advances in the learning sciences and contemporary socio-cultural perspectives, few changes have occurred. While many teacher educators are turning away from technology after early attempts met with mitigated success, some are pushing the boundaries of teacher education and professional activity systems. This paper identifies and analyzes emerging trends and models in e-learning for teacher education and professional development from the developing research base; both international trends and current developments in the Asia-Pacific region are described. We focus on progressively more sophisticated approaches including: (1) renewal of delivery of information with online repositories and courses; (2) rise of web-supported classrooms; (3) participation in learning networks and communities; and (4) knowledge creation in knowledge-building communities. We propose that technological innovations accompany social and pedagogical changes, and for the betterment of education, teachers need to play key roles as owners and designers of their learning. The potentials and challenges regarding these emerging trends in e-learning and their implications for teacher learning are examined. © 2006 School of Education, University of Queensland.