Theory and practice in teacher education

Abstract

Any discussion about developing the curriculum to meet the demands of an emerging and
continually changing world and preparing teachers to work with young people in meeting
the requirements of such a curriculum, must be based on a clear understanding of
theories of social change and a clear perception of how these theories should influence
our current and future practices. As teachers educators, we have the double
responsibility of understanding the life experiences of those who are to become the
teachers of the future, as well as understanding the life experiences of those who are to be taught. Both these requirements are highly demanding of those who themselves grew up professionally in a world which although it may have been less than perfect, at least
appeared to have greater stability than that in which we now live.