Straight Talk | Crooked Thinking: Reflections on Transforming Pacific Learning and Teaching, Teachers and Teacher Education for the 21st Century

Koya, Cresantia F. (2016) Straight Talk | Crooked Thinking: Reflections on Transforming Pacific Learning and Teaching, Teachers and Teacher Education for the 21st Century. In: Weaving theory and practice in Oceania: Threads for Pacific education practitioners. Institute of Education, USP, Tonga, 19 -42. ISBN 978-982-9173-09-6

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Abstract

Transforming Pacific learning, teaching and teacher education requires rethinking. This paper is premised on the ideal of educational reform focused on achieving sustainable Pacific societies. It offers a futures-thinking approach to the rethinking of quality Pacific education centralizing the role of the teacher and teacher education. At the core of this discussion are local approaches to teaching and learning and the significance of research in understanding and improving teacher performance. It argues that a review of teacher standards and attributes is necessary covering issues such as aptitude, literacies and competencies required for teaching in the 21st Century Pacific. It is postulated that education for sustainable Pacific societies must begin with an education system that brings together the best of both worlds inclusive of mainstreaming western knowledge systems and philosophies and Pacific indigenous education ideologies and approaches. The onus will be on Teacher Education providers to ensure that the Pacific teacher is one who is confident in his or her identity, armed with the necessary set of values, attitudes and skills to be agents of change. A Pacific transformative learning theory is presented as an example of ways by which we may begin to rethink teacher preparedness as well as reconstruct what we assume to know about the way we teach and learn.

Item Type:	Book Chapter
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General) L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) > School of Education
Depositing User:	Cresantia Koya-Vaka'uta
Date Deposited:	13 Aug 2017 23:43
Last Modified:	13 Aug 2017 23:43
URI:	http://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/10065

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