2 What needs to change?

Figure 1

Giving all students access to a high-quality school education is the central aim of global and national education policies. As you have seen, there is an emerging consensus that quality in education is achieved through promoting:

learner–centred practices that give value to each learner’s prior knowledge and experiences
school structures that enable student participation.

Realising this change depends on the quality of teachers; this in turn depends on teacher education. Research shows that teacher educators play a crucial role in developing skilled teachers (Musset, 2010:3).

What changes might you initiate in your own practice as a teacher educator and with teachers that you work with? In Activity 1.3 you consider changes needed in classrooms in your area.

Activity 1.3: Your vision for change

Timing: Allow approximately 40 minutes

[] In your study notebook, write three or four bullet points to describe what you would change in classrooms in your area in order to support your vision for teaching and learning. The following questions may help you:
- Think about the classrooms you have visited recently. Have all the students been actively engaged in learning? How could you tell?
- What would you like to see teachers doing more often or less often?
- What would you like to see students doing more often?
Look at the examples below of classroom changes suggested by teachers and teacher educators at a recent workshop in India. Categorise them using the following headings:
- Teachers valuing all children
- Teachers guiding learning
- Teachers as resourceful, skillful professionals
- Teachers enabling dialogue
- Teachers promoting active engagement
Maximise
Figure 2
Show description|Hide description
An image of a variety of sticky notes that describe a series of classroom changes. They read as follows:
Teachers have the confidence to go beyond the textbook
Classroom should be interactive, e.g. students talking about their work
Teacher has higher expectations of themselves
Equality of treatment of boys and girls and different social classes
Teachers have higher expectations of all students
Classroom should be free from fear
Teacher feeds back to students from evaluation/assessment
Children need to do more practical activities in classrooms
Average and below-average children should be given more opportunities to learn
Teachers listening more to children
Teacher should be a good listener
Teachers to become facilitators, helping children construct knowledge
Peer group learning should be promoted
Children should be active participants, not passive
More questions from the students rather than the teachers
Learning that provokes thinking and reasoning
More practice in class
Connect classroom teaching to the real world
Teachers have skills to meet the children’s needs and help their change
Teacher needs to be in the background for children’s active learning
Grouping of students to enable discussion
Changing teachers’ mindsets away from traditional practices
Child can open up and share their knowledge.
Figure 2
[] Note down which statements you agree with and which you think are most important. What category represents the most significant change for teachers in your area?
Select your top three ideas for change. Discuss your ideas with a colleague or peer and explain why you think these are your highest priority. What ideas or priorities does your colleague have? How do they compare with your own?