Abstract
What are the characteristics or traits of an ideal teacher for a fast-changing world? This question can be investigated from different perspectives. In this study I aimed to explore final year student-teachers’ conceptualisations of an ideal teacher for a fast-changing world based on research that they conducted as a course requirement.
The research approach of this study was a basic qualitative one. This implies that the data derived from the research projects and the semi-structured interviews was used to understand how the student-teachers interpret, construct, or make meaning from their world and experiences regarding their conceptualisation of an ideal teacher for a fast-changing world. The participants in this study were all final year student-teachers. Purposeful sampling was used to select the student-teachers who participated in the research. Data collection was completed in two ways, namely document analysis and semi-structured interviews. The data generated were analysed by means of inductive analysis. The analysis then resulted in five themes that served as the findings of the study.
The findings of the study revealed that student-teachers have varied conceptualisations of an ideal teacher for a fast-changing world. However, their views converge as follows: Ideal teachers for a fast-changing world must: be adaptable in order to effectively face abrupt changes in the fast-changing world; acquire essential digital skills; encourage agency in the teaching and learning environment; use innovative teaching methods in the teaching and learning environment; and value continuous professional development.
The findings suggest that continual research on conceptualisations of an ideal teacher for a fast-changing world would be important, due to the rapid changes that characterise the world that we live in, including technological changes. These changes will also impact teaching and teachers and will have implications for teacher education.