Being a Teacher in the 21st Century ― A Critical New Zealand Research Study

This book provides scholars, teacher educators, as well as reflective school leaders and teachers with valuable insights into what it is to be a teacher in the 21st century. It does so by presenting original research based on a study of several New Zealand schools between 2013 and 2015, and in particular, a focussed study of four of those schools in 2015.

The book draws on the findings to take stock of some of the central manifestations of 21st-century learning, especially digital pedagogies and the collaborative practices associated with teaching and learning in modern learning environments. It reflects on the mental shifts and sometimes-painful transitions teachers and leaders are making and experiencing as they enter uncharted waters, moving from traditional classroom practices to ones that emphasise collaboration, teamwork and the radical de-centring of their personal roles. It outlines a blueprint for understanding how to navigate these changes, and describes and explains the nature of pedagogical shifts apparent in digital classrooms and modern learning environments.

Leon Benade is the Co-ordinator of Research of the School of Education, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. His education career spans 30 years, the last 20 of which have been in New Zealand. His main research interests are teachers' work, school policy, ethics, philosophy in schools, critical pedagogy, and the New Zealand Curriculum. Leon's current research is on the way the focus on '21st century learning' impacts on the work of teachers and school leaders. Related areas of interest include the question of teachers' critical reflective practice and the evolving role and nature of the concept of 'knowledge' in the 21st century curriculum.

A member of the Executive Committee of Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA), Leon is also a member of the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE).