The views and experiences presented in this chapter highlight the initiative of the teacher educator to adapt ideas that characterise twenty-first century teachers. An emerging trend in teacher education and training pioneers critical thinking and reflective classroom practice which are considered to be pillars for the development of competent teachers who are equipped with theoretical and applied competences. The foundations of conceptual ideas shared in this work are: ‘engagement scholarship’ and ‘critical reflections’, which propose the discourse in the education and training. Critical analysis of these two broad concepts provides a conceptual framework to articulate techniques and strategies to engage prospective teachers in collaborative learning activities. The observations of engagement and critical reflective collaborations of students were analysed. The findings of the action research contribute to the practical knowledge of engagement scholarship and development of critical reflective practitioners. This chapter upholds the perception that the shift from traditional practices and strategies entails analysis of the needs of teachers in a democratic, open and non-discriminatory society. The findings of the action research prove that prospective teachers have the potential to develop pedagogical content knowledge, which is relevant to real-life classroom experience.
Part of the book: Teacher Education in the 21st Century
This chapter presents the analysis of the interactions in the context of knowledge acquisition and learning. Despite the different contesting approaches to knowledge acquisition, this chapter unveils the confusion prevailing in classrooms concerning the gaps and questions arising from knowledge that is asserted to be empirically verified. The observation sheets and notes were the primary sources of data gathered from the evaluation of lesson presentations conducted in classrooms, with the focus being on teacher-learner-interaction. Learners’ reflections, questions, comments as well as feedback from teachers were analysed through qualitative procedures. The results and the findings highlighted that the preparation of the lessons by the teachers have unforeseen gaps, blind spots, and undesired learning outcomes. This work concluded that teachers are experiencing challenges and difficulties in addressing the cognitive and intellectual needs of the twenty-first generation learners in classrooms. This study recommends the review of factual knowledge by school subject curriculum experts, and teacher educators in the faculties.
Part of the book: Teacher Education in the 21st Century
This chapter presents views, opinions, and perceptions about the curriculum theories that propagate educational perspectives of social injustice, cultural exclusion, supremacy, socio-economic inequality, and inequity. The data collection method was question and answer and deductive reasoning conducted in small groups in education studies classes. Pieces of information recorded in video clips during the COVID-19 lockdown were analysed through qualitative procedures, transcribing verbal data, and sorting coded categories of data. First, the frequencies of statements indicating trends in thoughts form themes classified as convergent and divergent perspectives. The interpretation of themes identified during data analysis seeks to address the problem statement in this chapter, which is the paradigm shift for a conceptualised decolonised curriculum in South Africa. Thus, the research question asked in the study is “what principles should underpin pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of pre-service teacher education and training?” The source of data was interviews and document analysis. The synthesis of the results drawn from the raw data was based on the theoretical and conceptual framework established from the works of scholarship researchers on decolonised education. The interpretation of the findings addressing the problem statement and the research question was presented through convergent and divergent perspectives that characterise the beliefs and thoughts of students about curriculums for decolonised education in South Africa. The study highlights uncertainties about the concepts, divergent conceptual stances on decolonised education, and the lack of uniformity in the perceptions of philosophical principles or foundations of perspectives on decolonised education.
Part of the book: Pedagogy