Changing Teaching to Change Learning: Teacher Preparation for the 31st Century

Abstract

Current education reform efforts are focused on teachers—their preparation, re-tooling and upgrading, professional development, and assessment. Indeed, there is ample empirical data indicating that teachers are essential to student achievement and that quality teachers produce quality outcomes. Yet, how should teacher preparation change to meet the needs of an unknown and constantly evolving future? It certainly is commonplace across the world, to talk about preparing teachers for 21st century skills and competencies. But what knowledges or competencies are fundamental and enduring enough to serve society long beyond the 21st century? In what ways might these competencies, in turn, influence and shape curriculum and teaching so as to best prepare young people for their tomorrow? This paper begins with a brief look at globalization and some of the contemporary issues that are global stressors. It then describes prevailing modes of teaching and perceptions of learning that contradict practices now called for in response to a rapidly changing global landscape. The author then offers five domains of knowledge for teaching that can help us think anew about teacher competencies and knowledge, and about teacher preparation curriculum—what should teachers know and be able to do if they are to capably drive curriculum change for deep learning and meaningful student engagement? These five knowledge domains can enable us to reimagine teaching and learning, and reform the teaching profession in ways that can nurture and sustain the creative, thinking, agentic professionals we need, not just for the 21st century but for the 31st.