The Changing Context of Teaching and Implications for Teacher Education

Current efforts to improve teacher quality are misguided by a misunderstanding of the education we need in the future. The efforts are rooted in an education paradigm that worked in the Industrial Age but is becoming obsolete due to revolutionary changes brought about by technology. To prepare our children for their future, we need to redirect our efforts toward shifting the education paradigm, which requires a different kind of teaching force equipped with a different set of abilities from the traditional set of content knowledge and pedagogical skills. This article outlines the reasons for the need of a paradigm shift and outlines a paradigm of teaching. It further suggests some elements of new qualities teachers will need for effective teaching in the new paradigm.