During the last 20 years, governments around the world have paid increasing attention to the recruitment, preparation, and retention of teachers. Teacher supply and teacher quality have become significant policy issues, taken up by policy-makers at the highest levels. This is because teachers are now seen by many governments as the ‘lynch-pin’ of educational, economic and social reform. This volume grew out of a recognition by the Editors of the growing significance of teacher education policy and a curiosity about international trends and differences. The book brings together nine papers from leading academics around the world: from the UK (England and Scotland), the USA, Australia, Singapore and Belgium, plus a joint paper comparing Namibia and the USA. Taken together, the papers reveal the complexities and contradictions of international trends. On the one hand, they demonstrate that there is indeed a common direction of travel along the lines encouraged by international bodies such as the OECD. At the same time however, the papers also reveal important differences among countries in terms of how they are addressing common aspirations as well as some apparent contradictions within the policies of individual nations. This book was based on the special issue of Teachers and Teaching.

An analysis of teacher education reforms in Namibia in the post-independence era, from the perspective of government personnel, teacher educators, and teachers themselves. This book examines post-independence teacher education reforms in the southern African country of Namibia from the perspective of various actors in the reform process: Ministry

This book relates to the experiences and initiatives of teacher education institutions in the Southern Africa region to empower teachers to cope with teaching and learning in the digital age. The book covers the impacts of digital technologies on the teaching and learning process. Online and blended learning, digital pedagogies, the design of curricula and learning experiences to address the learning needs and profile of learners are considered in this book. Furthermore, the way in which pre- and in-service teachers learn about alternative modes of assessment will also be considered. In this regard, innovative concepts such as renewable and situated assessments, multimodal assessments, digital storytelling and e-portfolios, amongst others, were explored.

This thesis is about teacher education reform. It is a narrative of attempted change in the area of teacher education in post-apartheid Namibia.

Teacher education is a known variable that impacts the quality of teaching and schooling, yet while research on practices in teaching and teacher education abound in other contexts, there seems to be no comprehensive reference work on teaching and teacher education in Africa. With Africa and the diaspora boasting rich, diverse political and educational contexts and practices, this gap in knowledge requires that attention be focused on investigating issues that shape the pace, course, and direction of teaching and teacher education in these contexts. Practices and Perspectives of Teaching and Teacher Education in Africa facilitates scholarly discussions among scholars and practitioners about practices, innovations, and future possibilities for educating the next generation of competent students and teachers in Africa. Covering topics such as educational reforms, equity, career progression, and curriculum development, this major reference work is ideal for administrators, industry professionals, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.

All over the world teachers are at the sharp end of education. Whatever the level of development of any given country, expectations of them are always high, usually too high. They tend to be routinely blamed for the ills of society and are rarely given credit. Is there now a situation of crisis in teacher education worldwide? This book highlights the predicament of teachers in widely differing locations and situations.

The International Handbook of Curriculum Research is the first collection of reports on scholarly developments and school curriculum initiatives worldwide. Thirty-four essays on 28 nations, framed by four introductory chapters, provide a panoromic