Building a Future-ready and Justice-oriented Teacher Education Faculty: Transformative Practices in Singapore

• In Event: Toward Just and Equitable Teacher Preparation: A Global Conversation

Abstract

Objectives
While teacher education (TE) and TE research in Singapore have made great strides in improving the provision of high-quality teachers to learners, education stakeholders cannot rest on their laurels by merely implementing new and cutting-edge practices. Beyond the requisite knowledge, skills and competencies, there needs to be a reimagination of how teachers may be better prepared and supported by expert teacher educators who envision the future and who are responsive to the present and future needs of society. This presentation describes how such a reimagination first needs a transformative shift in how we look at the continuum of education that empowers all stakeholders, from teacher educators to teachers and to learners. It focuses on developing teacher educators and on emphasizing their part in empowering education. With this empowerment, educational justice may prevail, education inequalities may be addressed, the importance of well-being may be placed at the forefront, and human flourishing, which is the purpose of education, may be restored.
Perspectives
In light of current global challenges such as war, disruptions such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the surge of artificial intelligence, along with crises in energy and climate, and global pandemics like Covid-19, the world requires global remedy and restoration. Teacher education and teacher education faculty have to possess mindsets and dispositions of future-readiness in order to provide meaningful, relevant and empowering teacher education programmes to equip teachers and, in turn, learners for unknown futures.
Methods
This presentation draws from literature of future-readiness and Singapore organizational documents that were collated and analyzed to inform this presentation. Singapore is a tiny island, city, nation, state and country whose educational achievements have been admired internationally. All teachers are prepared at the pre-service level at the nation’s sole teacher preparation institute, the National Institute of Education, housed within Nanyang Technological University.
Findings
From the research literature and desktop analysis of organizational documents, a remapping of education as a continuum, that is, teacher educators to teachers to learners, was deemed to be urgent. This paradigm shift allows us to see education as a whole where each part of the continuum is needed to take care of and develop teachers. When all parts are well cared for, the whole continuum is able to flourish. The findings are applied to the Singapore context and presented as a case study for consideration.


Significance
This presentation argues the need for teacher education faculty that are future-ready. It is only with such faculty that teacher education programmes may be re-designed to produce learners who are resilient, values-anchored, and seen learning as a lifelong endeavor. This presentation presents the case of ongoing faculty development efforts in Singapore’s national teacher education institute that aims to nurture teacher educators who are champions of justice, exemplars of lifelong learning mindsets, designers of innovative and engaging learning spaces, and inspirational mentors. Such TE faculty can help nurture future-ready teachers who can help repair and remediate our societies and build a generation of learners ready to face and flourish in a complex and unpredictable future.

Author

• Ee Ling Low, National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University