Teacher educators' vision of an 'ideal' teacher

Charanjit Kaur Swaran Singh,Noor Alhusna Madzlan,Tarsame Singh Masa Singh,Dodi Mulyadi,Siti Shuhaida Shukor,Eng Tek Ong,Nor Azmi Mostafa

doi:10.24815/siele.v8i3.19355

Charanjit Kaur Swaran Singh, Noor Alhusna Madzlan + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v8i3.19355

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Abstract

There is no clear definition of what constitutes an ideal teacher educator, particularly from the perspective of Malaysian educators. Developing teacher educators’ vision of an ideal teacher ensures that teachers have high levels of professional, personal, and contextual dimensions in teaching practices, including competence in the practice of professional teaching, knowledge, and understanding. Therefore, the objective of this study was to find out the range of visions of what it is to be a good teacher educator in a Malaysian teacher education institution. Seventeen teacher educators from an established university in Malaysia participated in the study. A survey consisting of eight questions was used as the research instrument. The data obtained from the questionnaire were analysed by using descriptive and textual analysis techniques. The findings reveal certain criteria of an ideal teacher such as possessing sound subject matter knowledge, mastery of both generic and content-specific pedagogy, and hands-on teaching skills. The teacher educators shared that they have to adjust their goals to attain their vision, namely the need to adapt to the current policies, new ideas, and the ever-changing educational trends. The findings also show that an ideal teacher is the one who is responsible to nurture and bring about the best learning experience for students. This research has unfolded the teacher educators’ vision of the ideal teacher and pedagogical implications reflected in every facet of their educational practices.

Highlights

Education has been a key factor in Malaysia’s rapid and constant changes since the mid-20th century
This study is expected to assist and inspire future teacher educators to reflect and give careful thought in educating future teachers who can develop skills, knowledge, and values required in the 21st-century classroom
Teacher educators must have a good sense of professionalism and good work ethics, patience, fairness in nurturing students because, through this study, the future teacher educators can see the importance of clearly exploring their visions

Summary

Introduction

Education has been a key factor in Malaysia’s rapid and constant changes since the mid-20th century. Teacher education and teacher educators faced great challenges because the focus of the teacher’s profession is no longer on mediating knowledge but facilitating skills required in 21st-century workplaces. Without those required skills, planning on preparing new teachers will rely on guesswork and paradigms less relevant to new and quality teachers in the first half of the twenty-first century. Ideal teachers are the primary force behind improving student achievement in learning, preparing instructional materials, resources and educating students to be able to function in various contexts, locally and internationally Refining these critical attributes in the educational system should form the assurance of any education programme. One of the key assumptions of this paper, and supported by Azer (2005) is that role modelling of teachers within their teacher education is an integral component in developing pre-service teachers into ‘ideal teachers’. Azer (2005), writing on medicine teaching, observes that:

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