Global Imperative for Teacher Education Revisited

• In Event: Roundtable Session 55
  In Roundtable Session: Invigorating and Reexperiencing Teacher Identity and Teacher Education in International/Transnational Contexts

Abstract

Despite the calls to integrate global dimension into teacher education programs due to increased interconnectedness of the world, many teacher education programs do little to prepare globally competent teachers. Rare exceptions are the programs that adopt some superficial features that expose pre-service teachers to some international experiences but do not challenge many of their beliefs. This paper argues that for teachers to develop global competencies, they have to be exposed to a critical analysis of globalization, capitalism, neoliberalism, and imperialism. Even though some would argue that these phenomena have positive features, they nevertheless affect education in many negative ways. Teacher education programs should raise their pre-service teachers’ awareness of these by critically examining globalization processes and their accompanying manifestations.

Author

• Elena Aydarova, Arizona State University