Teachers and Roles of Education

To enable Australia to transition into an information economy successfully in order to complete with the rest of the world, teachers must transcend the limitations of traditional schooling to envisage new roles for education and schooling in the contemporary society. In fact, the school system with its archaic teaching practices has come under considerable attack in recent years for its failure to meet the needs of many students Instead of focusing on transmitting information to students who are expected to passively absorb it, teachers must develop new instructional approaches to help their students acquire the disposition, knowledge and skills of individuals who can thrive in a challenging and unpredictable work environment (Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training 2000; Cumming 1997).

With the constant technological advances that are transforming contemporary society, students today have also become increasingly sophisticated learners who are exposed to information from a wide variety of sources. In short, they no longer rely on their teachers as the sole repository of knowledge. Teachers should thus no longer view education and schooling as a means of accumulating a vast store of information. Rather, they should realise that the purpose of education is to help students acquire the generic knowledge and skills such as critical thinking skills, which will en

. . .
es in their lives (Pitman 2002). More specifically, Worthwhile Learning refers to four types of learning, which can go towards the attainment of the Senior Certificate. Each of these types of learning will be explained in greater detail below: The first type of Worthwhile Learning is "experiential learning" in the areas of "personal growth and development, personal career management and management of personal finance" (Pitman 2002, p. 31). Essentially, learners must demonstrate the ability and the skills to cope with the challenges of adult life that include planning for their career and dealing with their own finances (Pitman 2002). Second, syllabus learning comprises the study of the conventional subjects or courses that are a part of an approved syllabus. This category of Worthwhile Learning is essentially traditional classroom learning (Pitman 2002). The third type of Worthwhile Learning is known as "generic skills" in which learners are required to have a foundation in literacy and numeracy. These two domains—literacy and numeracy-encompass a set of skills that are needed for the learning in many areas of learning in life. Students are required to pass standardised tests to demonstrate their acquisition of lea
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Retention Rates, Management Practices, Teachers Instead, Schools Community, Worthwhile Learning, Senior Certificate, Science Training, According DEST, Senior Agreement, Online Available, pitman 2002, queensland 2002, learning program, information technology, online available, cumming 1997, knowledge skills, worthwhile learning, learning programs, pitman 2002 queensland, schools community, 2002 queensland 2002, learning pitman 2002, responsibility own learning, skills information technology,
Approximate Word count = 4103
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Teachers and Roles of Education