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Professional Development for Teachers and Quality in School Education

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Upon What Does the Turtle Stand?
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Abstract

This chapter focuses on the role of professional development in the educational sphere, and its effect on the outcomes of the integration of ICT in school life. A major obstacle to meaningful educational change is the obsolete structures of prevailing professional development processes for teachers. This is evidenced in the inappropriate sectarian division between pre-service and in-service teacher training. This chapter argues for a radical change in the most basic structures of teacher training, including the blurring of the distinction between pre-service and in-service training. It examines the problem holistically to include the economic, social and environmental issues that affect both teachers and pupils as groups and as individuals. Finally, some examples of initiatives in Greece lead to strategic recommendations for the implementation of training processes to enhance the potential of ICT in education.

This paper is based on the Communication Document on Teacher Training presented and discussed at European SchoolNet Conference, Brussels, March 2000. The Communication Document was authored by Dr Nikitas Kastis, with the support of Ms Chryssa Koutra (MEd) — both researchers in the Lambrakis Research Foundation (GR) —, with contributions and reflections from Prof. Deryn Watson (Kings College, UK), Mr. Angelo Failla (IBM Foundation, IT) and Mr. Stellan Ranebo (Kalmar University, SE).

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© 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Kastis, N. (2004). Professional Development for Teachers and Quality in School Education. In: Aviram, A., Richardson, J. (eds) Upon What Does the Turtle Stand?. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-2799-0_7

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