Teacher education in India has a long history. Since the ancient period, it has been a major part of the education system. Teacher is the real social architect who can really shape the destiny of the nation. Emphasizing the importance of teacher, the National Policy on Education (1986) states, 'the status of the teacher reflects the socio-cultural ethos of the society; it is said that no people can rise above the level of its teachers'. This statement indicates the vital role of the teacher in shaping the fate of the nation and rebuilding the society by educating the young minds.
The teacher education is facing a number of issues and challenges. In the present context the expectation of the community from the teacher has been multiplied, teacher -student relationship is far more complex and the government is formulating new policies and finding new norms and standards for teachers. This compels the teachers to play a dynamic role and equip themselves with the latest knowledge and skills to meet the emerging challenges.
Over the last half a century and particularly in the recent decades teaching learning has been undergoing drastic changes. The process of teaching-learning is tuned with innovation and emphasis has shifted from teacher-centred, lecture-based instructions to student-centred interactive learning environments. Teacher has to generate new knowledge among students by employing a variety of technology tools and innovative pedagogies in teaching to satisfy diverse needs of different categories of students effectively.
Inclusive education is an innovative step towards quality education and assists in developing each child fully and helps in universalisation of education. Teachers are required to be trained in inclusive practices. Quality education largely depends upon the quality of teacher and the quality of teacher can be enhanced through continuous professional development programmes. Life skills education has major role in shaping teacher's personality. Training of life skills education will surely enable the teachers to play their multifarious roles in school, home and society most effectively. The role of teacher for sustainable development of the nation is complex and nuanced.Teachers are considered to be the change agents to put into action the sustainable development goals.
Present society needs effective, reflective, and creative teachers who can participate in the improvement of the whole educational process. Future teachers need to be value oriented, enlightened, and empowered to lead communities and nations in their march towards better and higher quality of life. The teachers having a futuristic vision can only lead the society towards an egalitarian one.
Keeping in view the above points, the present book has been conceptualized. The book consists of seventeen chapters covering various aspects and prospects of teacher education. I hope this book will serve as reference book and fulfil the needs of the students, teachers, policy makers and researchers in the field of education.
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