Teacher Education for Sustainability in Pakistan

Nabi Bux Jumani,Faheem Abbasi

doi:10.24212/2179-3565.2015v6i1p13-19

Nabi Bux Jumani, Faheem Abbasi

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.24212/2179-3565.2015v6i1p13-19

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Abstract

Education plays vital role in sustainable development. Education is permanent modification ofcreativity and behaviour as the result of new experiences through education (Kaushik, 1997). It is not onlya catalyst with potentialities to transform all the aspects of development but contributes in the currentchallenges of sustainability. The aim of education is to ensure and secure the basic purpose of education,to achieve the tasks of life and to attain basic life skills in an integrated and sustainable manner (Azam,2003). According to Singh (2008) “Education is essentially a process of growth and development, whichgoes on throughout the whole life” (p.7). Education for sustainability is less understood and less practicedby teacher educators in Government Colleges of Education offering Associate Degree in education andfour years B.Ed program. It is difficult to assume that whether teacher educators have proper acquaintancewith education for sustainability, skills and willing to incorporate education for sustainability in teachereducation policies and practices. In addition, it cannot be presupposed that through experience teachereducators will attain such skills. Therefore, education for sustainability should be carefully planned andmade as integral part of teacher education programs instead of ad hoc based approach for education forsustainability.This study will investigate how Associate Degree for education teacher training program for prospectiveteachers has been designed or shaped and find out how teacher educators are affianced with educationfor sustainability in their teaching. The purpose of study is (i) to determine the elements of Educationfor sustainability before and after Associate Degree program, (ii) to investigate teacher educatorsknowledge, skills and attitude related to education for sustainability and, (iii) to examine the perceptionand engagement of teacher educators regarding education for sustainability. The focus of this study willbe on five indicators of sustainability which include the social impact of education, education as strategyfor development, financial viability, adaptability and capability to bring socio-economic change. A casestudy approach will be used for this study. Data will be collected through surveys, in-depth interviews andanalysis of over five years documents.

Highlights

The teacher education in Pakistan has been facing serious challenges in terms of policy, quality and lack of resources
A group of teacher educators’ stated: “We know that education brings social reforms and with the help of community a teacher can change mindset of students and parents to value the knowledge for sustainable development but how those objectives will be achieved that is not reflected in the curriculum and dispensing education for social change.”
Another participants group pointed out that: “the Associate Degree in Education ( ADE) leading towards B.Ed is new initiative taken by government of Pakistan to improve the quality of teacher education and ensure that the pre-service training program is linked with the recruitment of teachers

Summary

Introduction

The teacher education in Pakistan has been facing serious challenges in terms of policy, quality and lack of resources. During the past two decades several initiatives have been taken to improve the teacher education but recently innovative reforms have been initiated by under PRESTEP project with the support of USAID. The aim of this innovation was to enhance the quality of teacher training through introduction of a two-year Associate Degree in Education (ADE) and BEd (Hons- a four-year). The new introduced programs have replaced Primary Teacher Certificate (PTC), Certificate in Teaching (CT) and one-year B.Ed program prevalent during transition period Both the ADE and a four years BEd has been initiated in elementary colleges of education in Pakistan including public universities It is assumed that EFS have been considered in the design of programs. The main purpose of education is imparting literacy and numeracy and it is process of socialization and total development (Singh, 2008)

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