International Workshop: Policies for Teachers and Educational Leaders in the World and Vietnam in an Era of Globalization and International Integration
Norihiro KURODA
Professor/Director, Center for the Study of International Cooperation in Education, Hiroshima University
Secretary, “Africa-Asia University Dialogue for Educational Development” Network
Good morning, distinguished guests, colleagues, friends, ladies and gentlemen. I am very pleased and honored to be given an opportunity to say a few words at the opening of this very interesting undertaking of the international workshop on “Policies for Teachers and Educational Leaders in the World and in Vietnam in an Era of Globalization and International Integration”.
Let me first congratulate Dr. Nguyen Thi My Loc, Rector of the University of Education and her staff that her institution has just get promoted to a full-fledged constituent university of Vietnam National University Hanoi. This workshop is therefore a very memorable event for the new university.
Since I am not an expertspecialized in the study of teachers and educational leaders though my academic background is sociology of education, I understand that what I am expected to say on this occasion is something about our new inter-regional university collaboration for educational development. This endeavor is called the “Africa-Asia University Dialogue for Educational Development”, “A-A Dialogue” for short.This is a kind of international inter-university networking project for educational development. Currently twenty eight (28) universities; sixteen (16) from twelve (12) African countries and twelve (12) from six (6) Asian countries are official members of this network, of which the University of Education, Vietnam National University Hanoi is a very important member. This network has just been embarked upon this year and my center, Center for the Study of International Cooperation in Education, Hiroshima University, Japan is functioning as the Secretariat for the network.
The purpose of this network is very simple and clear, that is to promote a self-reliant approachto educational development through dialogue and collaboration among African and Asian universities in three areas; 1) research, 2) academic staff exchange and 3) student exchange. As far as research is concerned, international comparative studies on crucial issues for educational development are now being designedfor their implementation in the next year. Three broad areas of study have been identified for research; 1) equity in education including gender issues, 2) quality of education which has emerged as a crucial issue now as access to education has gradually been expanded, and 3) whole issues concerning teaching profession. These choices are spontaneous ones by researchers of the members universities of the network themselves (not imposed by some research agenda of outside organizations such as donors or international organizations), and therefore clearly indicate that issues about teachers are now internationally seen as one of the important challenges in education by many researchers.
In discussing research themes/topics to be pursued about teaching profession, among other things,the following twoapproaches have been stressed. Firstly teaching profession should be looked at holistically. This holistic approach encompassesthe consequential cycle of; 1) attracting capable persons to teaching profession, 2) providing quality education/training at the pre-service stage, 3) selection of competent teachers (licensure and employment exam.), 4) management of teachers (how to effectively utilize teaching profession particularly at the school level), and 5) providing opportunity for professional development (in-service training). And it should be kept in mind that all this cycle is taking place under 6) certain environment and conditions surrounding teaching profession (such as working conditions including salaries, social status, social esteem, identity, etc.). This simply means that various issues on teachers should be dealt with in a total picture such as the one drawn above rather than as separate ones.
Another approach emphasized by researchers in the network, which is closely related to the first one, is a kind of developmental approach to teaching profession. For experts on teacher education/training this may not be a new approach at all, but I think very important. It is meant by developmental approach that development of teaching competency is a continuous life-long process involving various stages, changes, and ups and downs. This approachmay suggest a number of interesting research methodologies to be adopted such as tracer studies of teachers’ life history, comparative studies of teachers at different stages, etc. But at the same time in terms of actual changes expected to occur in educationit requires stronger commitment to continuous education/training of teachers on both sides, namely educational authorities and teachers themselves, which is more difficult part of the approach. While education authorities have to provide more and more training opportunities, teachers themselves are required to be determined to continuously train themselves as part of teachers’ duties.
On the basis of these approaches shared among the researchers, the following three groups of themes and topics about teaching profession have been selected for research. The first group of research topics has emanated from a very fundamental question of why teachers do not or can not teach in the way they have been trained in teacher training institutions. It is often ironically said that teachers tend to teach as they were taught when they were students rather than in the way they have been trained. In other words, there has been growing recognition among researchers as well as administrators about discrepancy between teacher training and actual teacher’s practices in the classroom. From this question a variety of research topics have emerged, such as 1) what outcomes (skills, knowledge, attitude, values, etc.) has teacher education produced?, 2) what are the factors hindering teachers to practice in the classroom as they have learned?, 3) does teacher education meet social needs and respond to various changes in education?, 4) who are candidates for teaching profession?, 5) what is the quality of teacher trainers?, etc.
The second group of topics concerns continuous development of teachers, namely in-service teacher training (INSET). One of the focuses in this area is placed on lesson study. This lesson study is understood among the researchers in the network ascontinuous collaborative effort by teachers themselves to reflect upon and improve their teaching practices. In other words this is a kind of action research conducted by teachers themselves about their teaching and normally a school-based exercise.While lesson study is a widely diffused practice in Japan, it has been prevailing in the US and in some countries in Asia and Africa. In these countries education authorities often support and encourage teachers’ endeavor in this respect and at the same time researchers assist it academically and technically. Now a basic research question about lesson study is whether it is a possible effective means to improve quality of teachers and thus students’ achievements. And if so, what are factors conducive to effective lesson study?
The last but not least group of topics is about environment and conditions surrounding teachers. There has been a shared recognition among the researchers in the network that they are a sort of “infra-structure” for teachers to be able to fulfill their duties, and thereforeunless minimum conditions are ensured, any policy measures to this effect may fail. Apart from economic conditions of teachers, research interest has focused on social and psychological aspects of teachers including their social esteem, identity, motivation, etc.
I have just reported to you about what a group of educational researchers from universities in Asia and Africa have discussed about teachers; issues, challenges, common understanding, research topics to be pursued, etc. Let me now conclude my speech by informing you that it has been unanimously agreed that research about education in general and about teachers in particular has to be close to the reality and thus geared toward problem-solving, and to that effect more and more dialogue is needed not only among academics but also among researchers, educational administrators and teachers themselves.
Thank you very much for listening.
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