Comparative Perspectives on Teacher Education in South Asia

Abstract

This discussion essay provides an overview of teacher preparation programs in South Asia, detailing current innovative practices, challenges and trends regarding teacher education in the region. The chapter presents initiatives in several South Asian countries in terms of the design and implementation of in-service teacher trainings, pre-service teacher education programs, and distance education programs in South Asia. The main concept of the essay is to provide a comparative perspective to learn from field-based initiatives with the aim of improving the quality of the programs. It also highlights new trends such as the English education programs and ICT-based teacher training programs. It acknowledges that culture and context form a large part of the success for any education initiative. While doing so, a more holistic approach to improving teacher quality is emphasized. Finally, the essay concludes by sharing some ideas on developing conducive teaching–learning environments in the schools to support teachers. This essay should benefit policy makers and practitioners to: (a) obtain an overview of teacher quality programs in South Asia; and (b) comparatively learn from the experiences of countries in South Asia that have both numerous similarities and some differences.

Citation

Iyengar, R., Witenstein, M.A. and Byker, E. (2014), "Comparative Perspectives on Teacher Education in South Asia", Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2014 (International Perspectives on Education and Society, Vol. 25), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 99-106. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-367920140000025010