Distance Teacher Education and the Challenges of 21st Century

Abstract

The study focusses on the relevance of the teacher education programmes through distance mode which are facing various challenges due to globalization and technological advancements in the field of education. With the explosion of knowledge, education is going through new transformations and, therefore, it will have to evolve in the direction of the new globalised knowledge society. The alarming challenge before the distance teacher education programme is to be equipped with 21st century knowledge and skills and learn how to integrate them into their classroom practice to realize its goal of successfully meeting the challenges of this society so that the coming generation can meet the demands of a global society. This paper focuses on the need of distance teacher education programme to find innovative teaching and learning methodology and access the potential for new forms of communication using emerging technologies. In the 21st century, teachers need to be life-long learners, adapting continuously to changing opportunities and demands of the knowledge economy, producing new knowledge through research activities.