STRATEGIES FOR RE-SHAPING INITIAL TEACHER EDUCATION TO STEER HOLISTIC AND SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION IN AFRICA

Abstract

Education is the only institution through which society can attain its ideals and aspirations. For this to happen, teachers play a pivotal role in translating the ideals into mini activities that are meant to transform individuals’ learners into useful competent citizens. This is the main reason that Teacher education as a special programme of education, has undergone tremendous transformations over few decades ago in Africa and the world. These transformations, however, have not been accompanied by concrete actions to adapt Teacher Education to the different dynamisms the African society is traversing. This paper aims at examining the effectiveness of practices being used in current initial teacher education in sub-Saharan Africa. The focus of the paper is based on three paramount questions: 1. What are the current practices versus new requirements in initial teacher education of the Twenty-First Century (21st C) in the context of Africa? 2. How best can teachers be prepared to meet the needs and aspirations of African societies and the world in the Twenty-First Century and beyond? 3. What are the challenges militating against quality teacher education in Africa? The first question seeks answers on who should be the teachers in the 21st Century classroom in Africa. The second question focuses on who and how such a teacher can be prepared. The third attempts to identify challenges that potentially threatens the attainment of an effective and efficient initial teacher education. The information generated from these questions will not only help in shedding light on some wrongdoings surrounding initial teacher education, but also unlock the door to more modern and ultra-modern practices that can make Africa produce useful, competent, and exportable teachers.