In the fast changing world of the early 21st century public education is also changing.

As
part of the changes the role of schools and education will also be different both in the educational
system and in the society. Together with them the role of teachers will also change. In my essay I
am examining how the new social challenges and demands towards education and teachers
change schools into institutions with modern aims and social contracts. We are going to depict
the characteristic features of ideal teachers by exploring recent literature and the results of a
survey. In the survey teachers reveal their professional aims and needs for the future. inally! we
are going to explore teachers "nowledge base in the 21st century.
There have been a great number of changes in education systems worldwide recently.
#owever! in $urope we have experienced a great change with the enlargement of the $uropean
%nion and its conse&uences. The $uropean %nion has published several papers on the future of
education! both at compulsory and higher education levels
1
. In this essay we are going to
examine the influence of the changes and its conse&uences on teachers in compulsory education.
If we aim to have a closer loo" at the characteristic features of the changes! we have to
examine what they are. What everybody can see at first sight is that not only $uropean societies!
but also their schools went through relevant changes. 'chools used to be the source of
"nowledge! a place where children were educated more or less without parental control. 'chools
used to prepare learners for exams (both final exams in secondary education and entrance exams
for university admissions). Thus! teaching was mostly exam preparation or exam training!
especially in the final years of the secondary schools.
Together with the changes! new expectations appeared towards our schools. *owadays
schools need to teach their learners how to gain information and how to select and use them. This
happens so &uic"ly that students learn how to use the Internet together with their teachers.
+arents are involved in decision,ma"ing so they ta"e part in the life of the school. It is no longer
enough to send the "ids to school in the morning! pic" them up in the afternoon. +arents have to
have a view of what is happening in the educational institution. $xam preparation is still
important! but for example in #ungary the entrance exams are -past tense.! the final examinations
(matura) have changed! and the concept of learning to learn has slowly become a very important
element of teachers. /ob.
The changes that too" place in schools have changed the roles of teachers! too. In the
past teachers used to be the ma/or source of "nowledge! the leader and educator of their students.
school life. Teachers would organise after,school activities. They used to be the authority in the
class and often too" over the role of parents. *owadays! teachers provide information and show
their students how to tac"le them. Although they are still considered to be a "ind of leader in the
class! they can be thought of as facilitators in the learning process. They are supporters rather
than educators and also advisors towards parents.
If we focus on the teaching process! we still realise that there are a great number of
changes in this field as well! and all of them have an influence on the role of teachers. irst of all!
teachers in modern classrooms are no longer lecturers! they are facilitators! their main tas" is to
set goals and organise the learning process accordingly. Then! in the past! teachers used to follow
a syllabus which was compulsory for them. *owadays! teachers have a *ational 0urriculum! a
0ore 0urriculum and a local (school) curriculum that they have to consider! but , on the other
hand , they have independence to choose the teaching materials (textboo")! ma"e up a syllabus
of their own and teach their pupils so that they can perform well both at examinations and in life.
0urriculum design is a tas" teachers have to be prepared for! although the present generation of
teachers has been growing into ma"ing up syllabi for years.
Another difference between the past and present tas"s of teachers is represented by the
technical bac"ground they need to be able to use and handle effectively (computer! photocopier!
power point! pro/ectors! etc). Instead of teaching chal" face! they need to be an information
technology expert! a technician or1and a photocopy master.
2ne of the biggest challenges for teachers is that their role in the school management has
also changed. The school needs them as individuals! who can ma"e decisions and cope with the
stress of the changing world of schools. At the same time teachers need to be able to wor" in
teams! co,operate with colleagues and parents! they have to write pro/ects to gain money for the
school programmes! they have to be +3 experts and need to do all these things for a modest
monthly income.
The main &uestion is how these changes manifest themselves for the society! for the
participants (teachers! learners! parents) of education. 2ne of the mentioned $uropean %nion
documents deals with teachers. role in the changing process.
2
This summarises the characteristic
features of future teachers who are to face a brand new situation in future education. According
to the document! teachers reali4e the changes! but it is not sure whether they are able to face the
new re&uirements or not. In the $% documents! a great emphasis is placed on both initial and in,
service teacher education programs which are to prepare teachers to meet new demands.
Teachers' knowledge base
All the above,mentioned changes have a common root. They show that it is not enough for
teachers to be masters of their profession 5 they also have to be the artist of it. 6ut what is the
difference between a master and an artist 7 #ow can a teacher be both 7 What are the
characteristic features of god or bad teachers1teaching 7 This is an evergreen &uestion which
often cannot be answered without understanding the real contexts of teaching. #owever!
researchers have examined and described the different components of teachers. "nowledge (li"e
3oberts 8 199:)! the characteristic features of teachers (#argreaves ; ullan 8 1992! alus 8
199:). They have come up with the importance of content "nowledge (teachers. sub/ects)!
pedagogic content "nowledge (how to adapt content to the learners)! general pedagogic
"nowledge (e.g. classroom management)! curricular "nowledge! contextual "nowledge (the
context of teaching 8 community expectations) and process "nowledge (learning s"ills!
observation s"ills! etc.). Among the characteristic features! cooperation! flexibility and the ability
to relate learners appear rather important.
Teachers' needs and expectations
In the first years of the 21
st
century! <== teachers have been as"ed to fill in a &uestionnaire about
their teaching practices and professional needs in the southern region of #ungary
>
. The teachers
were sub/ect teachers of foreign languages and primary classroom teachers prepared for foreign
language teaching to young learners. The main aim was to explore the differences in the ideas
and practices of language teachers with different training bac"grounds. Three hundred and
twenty,five &uestionnaires were returned and a small section of the r esults will be presented
here. The &uestionnaire included two groups of &uestions which aimed to reveal teacher.s
thoughts on the characteristic features of a good language teacher and their teaching arsenal
(methods and aids they use). They were also as"ed about the professional needs of practising
teachers. We would li"e to give a glance on the relationship between the answers of practising
teachers and the image of future teachers in $% documents.
Surwey Question No. 4 : What are the characteristic features of good language teachers
2n answering this &uestion! teachers were as"ed to mar" the < most important features of good
language teachers out of 1?. About half of the offered answers were characteristic features of
teachers in general. @ost teachers mar"ed elements li"e good teachers -can explain well.! -use
relevant teaching aids'! -make the learners work hard'! -prepare for the lessons', teach about the
target language culture'! etc. Teachers showed priority to content "nowledge (their sub/ect) over
the general characteristic features li"e -empathy' or -creativity.
@ore precisely! out of all the received answers! <= A of the teachers mar"ed only
characteristic features of a language teacher (rather than general pedagogic features). About 9= A
mar"ed -good target language competence'. If we examine the elements provided for teachers to
choose one by one! we can see that :2 A of respondents thin" good language teaching
methodology is very important. -Openness. and -empathy' were among the < most important
features only in >2,>B A of the answers. The characteristic features of modern professional
teachers such as open character, empathy, motivation, etc. were ran"ed at the bac" of the list. The
&uestionnaire results reveal that language teachers thin" that content "nowledge is by far the
most important! while pedagogic "nowledge and methodology are not so relevant. It is a stri"ing
point in the light of the $uropean %nion documents and! also! according to some #ungarian
experts who write about the most important features of teaches. 6Crdos (19:<)! for example! as
early as 19:<! expressed very similar ideas to the $% documents. #e says that the characteristic
features of teachers shine through their content "nowledge and determine the &uality of teaching.
2ther #ungarian researchers li"e @ihCly (2==2)! +etne"i (2==2)! +oDr (2==>) and *i"olov
(2==>) , at the time of data collection , summarise the expectations towards future teachers! and
they claim that future teachers need to be open towards the needs of the learners 5 they should be
innovative and creative.
Sur!ey Question No. " : What are teachers' needs in in#ser!ice teacher training
irst we thought that the answer to this &uestion would show how much teachers are aware of the
fact that education and society and the re&uirements towards teaching are in the process of
change. According to the &uestionnaire results! teachers thin" that computer skills are very
important for them (BE A of the answers would need a good computer course). It is also
interesting that B> A of the answerers (who are foreign language teachers by profession) thin"
they need to learn of another foreign language. About >1 A of the answers say that an up,to,date
foreign language teaching methodology course could be useful! and 2E A would li"e to improve
their target language skills. About one third of the answerers thin" that syllabus-design
(planning, textbook evaluation and classroom techni!ues are necessary for their development as
practising teachers. Another interesting feature of the answers was that 29 A of the teachers
would need self,management training.
'ome of the answers (computer s"ills! methodology course! etc.) will definitely be very
important in the future! and some of them are already part of our everyday teaching life
(computer s"ills and foreign languages). They refer to the fact that teachers are mostly interested
in practical! .right,into,teaching. s"ills. These answers also reveal that the answerers are not very
good at computing and they do not spea" (more than one) foreign languages.
2n the other hand! we can say that s"ills and competences which seem to be fairly important in
the near future in education do not really appear among the needs of practising teachers. As we
as"ed and interviewed some final year undergraduates as well in the data collection process! we
can say that there are no significant differences between the needs of practising teachers and
teachers,to,be undergraduates. *either of the groups of teachers feels that convertible and
renewable content "nowledge! open and pedagogically well,trained teachers are the "ey figures
of the future education.
Teacher $ducation for the %uture
In my view! teacher education , rather than teacher training , needs to change in the near
future. 'ome experts say it is too late to begin the changes! as we need new competencies in
teaching right now. #owever! if teacher education in #ungary follows its best tradition! and it
remains practical! flexible and child,centred! there is a hope that the next generation of learners
will get the support and s"ills they need in life during their schooling years from their own
teachers.
The need of a generation of teachers who aim to develop learners instead of teaching
them! who help their pupils to become independent (learning to learn)! who provide students
with motivation and interest for life,long learning and urge them to become autonomous
learners! is essential in the education of the future.
The responsibility of governments! higher education institutions! and mostly teacher
educators both in pre,and in,service education! is huge. $uropean %nion member states ta"e part
in several pro/ects which help us to prepare for ta"ing the responsibility in achieving relevant
change.
The &hanging 'ole of the Teacher in the ()st &entury
*y +r. *rad ,ohnson and Ta--y .axson .c$lroy

motivate everyone involved in the educational process. . The effective teacher will not only be an
expert teacher! but is an asset to the school and the educational community. The teacher is the
expert! and understands the needs of education in the 21st 0entury.
0onclusion
$ffective teaching has to be fluid and adaptive to current culture. The effective teacher
understands that there are core s"ills and "nowledge that have to be learned! but must be
presented in a manner that students find relevant! even if not in their immediate lives. This
re&uires an art and a science to teaching that ma"es the teacher of the 21st 0entury effective.
The science of teaching re&uires content "nowledge! organi4ation! management s"ills! and
detailed planning. The art of teaching is not about possessing an outgoing personality! but
ma"ing connections to students! parents! as well as connecting the curriculum to the real world in
a relevant manner. Thus the 21st 0entury teacher creates and maintains intentional relationships
with her students! parents! and colleagues for the sa"e of tomorrows success.
This is not an easy tas"! but when the teacher understands how her role in the process has
changed! it does ma"e the process much easier. 'uccess of students is the ultimate goal of
education5 however we have to remember what ma"es that success possible! an effective teacher.
An effective teacher is not someone utili4ing the methods and initiatives of 19?<! but rather
embracing the culture of 2=1= and adapting to the needs of students today. The effective teacher
will connect the art and science of teaching to ma"e the learning environment relevant and
applicable for her students. In the end! the teacher will thrive and the students will flourish when
the role of the teacher adapts to the needs of culture of today.
2ne ma/or difference between the anti&uated teacher role and the changing teacher role of today
is the involvement of everyone in the educational community. The anti&uated teacher doesnt
see" interaction with parents! but prefers working in an isolated environment. This is
often because she is not equipped to handle confrontation, or possibly lacks the
confdence to engage in genuine conversation with parents or others. However,
todays efective educator embraces interaction with parents because it is benefcial
for the student and her. he welcomes dialogue and building authentic relationships
with all key members involved. he sees this as an opportunity to develop
classroom support for the students and her.
What is an authentic relationship you may as"7 It is a relationship built upon respect between all
the members of the school community. $ach member has responsibilities in developing and
nurturing these relationships. All "ey individuals are important because of the experiences and
abilities they bring to the educational community. It ta"es the whole FvillageG or educational
community to produce an intentional relationship.
H
Authentic relationships with students
The changing role of the teacher re&uires personali4ing instruction and presenting relevant
information. This authentic relationship with the student is particularly important because the
teacher has the potential to greatly influence the student. #owever! the dominant teaching style
of the past has been the anti&uated FTas" @asterG style of teaching. This is the old Fdrill and "illG
method of teaching which simply re&uires the student to memori4e and recall the learning.
%nfortunately this "nowledge is isolated and &uic"ly forgotten.
The effective teacher has to be the -thermostat who controls the environment of the classroom.
'he is the one who either creates an environment where learning can occur or she creates an
environment where students dread coming to class. The effective teacher creates a safe! and
engaging learning environment where learning is deemed valuable to the student. This teacher
will have high expectations for student behavior and academic achievement! but since she has
created authentic relationships! the students will wor" hard to meet and exceed those
expectations. #owever! high expectations without building relationships reverts the classroom
bac" to a tas"master environment. %ltimately teachers should reflect the same behavior that they
expect from their students.
$ffective instructional methodologies must include opportunities for the students to understand
these educational concepts in a manner that is both relevant for todays fast paced world and also
personali4ed in order to apply the learning to tomorrows world.
Whether it is your rules! expectations! or how you deliver the material! "eep these thoughts in
mindI Am I presenting the material in a manner that is engaging for the students7I Am I
treating them they way I would want someone to treat my child7 At the end of the day remember
they are still children! facing real problems in a tough world! so they need all the support they
can get. Therefore! the effective teacher of today is genuine. !hen this teacher e"hibits
vulnerability, transparency, and humor, a real connection is made with the students.
This can be as simple as beginning lessons with personal stories to connect with the
concept, or even using humor to draw their interest.
This connection allows for true and lasting learning to ta"e place. %ltimately! a sense of
community is built within the classroom. Why7 The student is able to see the teacher as not only
the supervising adult but also as a human being.
+artners in 0rime
The changing role of the teacher means to move away from the isolation of the past and embrace
the collegiality! expertise! and support of colleagues. 2ne of the most important aspects of
collegiality is the sense of community that it builds among teachers. 3esearch even suggests that
collegiality among teachers has a positive correlation with student success. It is almost ironic that
education which is very social in nature has often limited the interaction of its teachers.
We have already discussed the importance of developing relationships with parents! but it is time
for the effective educator to reintroduce herself to her Fpartners in crimeG! her colleagues.
$ffective teachers are a great resource of "nowledge! ideas! and even activities that can be shared
with teammates. 0ollaborating may seem li"e a foreign idea in a profession that is "nown for its
isolative &ualities! but todays culture re&uires a new relationship among all the members of the
school. This supportive and respectful environment also includes your administrators as well as
the school staff. 'ince you all have the same goal! student success! be supportive of each other. It
is important to have a relationship with your peers that are both supportive and positive. 6uilding
a school community is beneficial to all sta"e holders of the educational setting.
6eyond the school walls
The changing role of the teacher includes reaching beyond the walls of the school. +resently! the
school remains an isolated building that is disconnected from the world in which we are
preparing students to live. As we have mentioned! education should be a community effort! but
this means including the whole community. %tili4e the experts that exist in your community to
really develop lessons or reinforce ideas from a lesson. Jid you /ust teach a lesson on finance7
6ring in the 02 of a corporation to spea" with your students. Jo you want your students to
have an impact on your community7 Jo a class pro#ect where you help a local food bank
by bringing in food, or working at the food bank for a day. $ student may not
remember what was taught in social studies on a particular day in %th grade, but he
would have if the lesson was shared at a retirement home while listening to the
stories of a woman who may have lived during the depression.
$ducation is about ma"ing learning alive and relevant. Therefore! dont confine education to the
walls of the classroom but connect it to the real world. In our information age! it doesnt even
have to be limited to your immediate community. 0onnect with a school in Africa! India! or
'outh America and do a pro/ect together! or let students learn a lesson via the Internet with
students from across the world. The 21st 0entury teacher utili4es the effectiveness of all our
available technology.
Teacher Keader
The term teacher leader has been in the educational conversation for several years now! but it still
hasnt been given its due diligence in the educational process of the 21st 0entury. If there is one
aspect of the teacher role that needs to be changed it is the FvoiceG of the teacher. 6eyond the
classroom! the teacher has really had no voice in education. +oliticians tell us how they will FfixG
the problems of education. %nions tell us how they will FrepresentG the teacher. 'chool boards
and administrators tell us how they will Fdirect and manageG the teachers. Let the teacher! the
most important aspect of student success has very little opportunity to ta"e on leadership
responsibilities that actually influence the process of education.
It is our belief that! FKeadership is about responsibility and action! not title or positionG. The
teacher is the leader of her classroom. #owever! every teacher has the ability and really the duty
to be a leader in the school community. 2ne of the reasons that more teachers dont feel li"e
leaders is because they underestimate their abilities! especially when they enter the classroom
unprepared for the realities of teaching in todays culture. #owever! when the teacher has both
the operational and interpersonal s"ills to complement her content expertise! then she can step
outside of the proverbial box! and her comfort 4one to be a leader in the educational community.
With leadership as part of her new role! the teacher of today can influence the culture of the
school and school community. 'he will build strong relationships will all the sta"eholders in the
community and exhibit the competence and confidence to inspire and motivate everyone
involved in the educational process. . The effective teacher will not only be an expert teacher! but
is an asset to the school and the educational community. The teacher is the expert! and
understands the needs of education in the 21st 0entury.