Teachers as #Influencers: Educational Innovation Driven by Teachers

• In Event: Roundtable Session 5
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Education for equity, innovation and inclusion

Proposal

Solutions to the myriad challenges we face in education like access, equity, or the efficacy of instructional methods, require inputs from the fields of research, policy and practice. Too often, teachers, as key practitioners, are left out of the research and policy-related conversations and resulting practice-based decisions. The profession of teaching, including but not limited to teacher training and certification requirements, professional development, decisions about curriculum and instructional approaches, and the standards to which teachers are held for student learning and achievement, are often without adequate input from the teachers on whom they have a direct impact. Time, professional space, and trust are needed to enable and empower teachers as the critical contributors they are and should be in their own profession. How do we create this time and space? Schools, districts and state or national education agencies should arm themselves with the necessary resources and a mindset centered on the belief in, and respect of, teacher agency. With these tools, they can be better prepared for the future of education, respond to the challenges and disruptions that will inevitably arise, all the while contributing to the elevation of the teaching practice.

Teachers are one of the most influential factors in student learning and achievement. As such, it stands to reason that it is essential to invest in and prioritize teachers’ learning, development, and authentic engagement in research and policy. In today’s educational climate, it is more necessary than ever that teachers have the knowledge, skills and dispositions themselves to model a global perspective, teach students the recognition and translation skills to interpret the world around them accurately, and to empower students to take action on issues of local and global significance. These knowledge and skills are necessary to impart to students not only for their successful participation in the job market of today and tomorrow, but also for citizenship in a democratic and globally connected society.

The presenters will reference interventions made as a part of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange programs and highlight case studies of educators around the globe. The case studies demonstrate how teachers are best positioned to propose and authentically contribute to lines of inquiry for the improvement of educational outcomes globally. They provide concrete examples of how, when given the time, financial investment, space and support, teachers can successfully develop innovative solutions to globally shared challenges, positively influence policy and practice, and empower students as agents of change in their communities as well. In them, educators share the ways in which they currently drive innovations in education, and identify specific attributes of their educational environments that they believe have contributed to their ability to authentically engage in shaping improvements to their educational settings.

Authors

• Emily Dudley, IREX

• Whitney Hough, IREX