Teaching and Teacher Education in Pakistan: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

ISBN: 9789697347605

Product Features

• Author: Anjum Halai
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• ISBN: 978-9697347605
• Format: Academic Book
• Language: English
• Focus: Education Policy and Practice
• Hardcover 2024
  
• 244 Pages

Overview

A comprehensive examination of teaching and teacher education in Pakistan, placing it within the context of lower-middle income countries (LMICs). The book analyzes both historical developments and contemporary challenges, including the impact of neoliberalism and marketization on education. It provides valuable insights into teacher formation, educational policy, and the challenges faced by Pakistan's education system in a global context.

This book explores teaching and teacher education along the continuum of teachers’ careers within the context of Pakistan. It makes a significant contribution by consolidating historical and contemporary perspectives on teaching and teacher education into one concise volume, grounded in the social, cultural, political, and fiscal landscape of Pakistan—a lower middle-income country. The aim is to provide actionable recommendations for addressing issues within this field in the contemporary, fast-changing world. It argues that to adequately prepare children and youth for a dynamic world, teaching and teacher education must undergo transformation. Teacher education provision needs to be nimble and responsive to new teaching methods and emerging needs for skills development. Teaching must also accommodate the diversity in classrooms resulting from significant demographic shifts, increasing socio-economic divides, persistent gender inequities, conflicts, and disruptive digital technologies, among other factors. Divided into two interconnected sections, the first situates the evolution of teacher education within the global context before shifting focus to Pakistan's historical post-colonial policy landscape as a lower-middle-income country. Finally, it addresses the current context amidst the digital revolution, neo-liberal policies, and privatization. The second section draws upon highly relevant classroom-based research from Pakistan to provide insights into key issues in teaching and their implications for teacher education. Overall, the book offers profound insights applicable to teaching and teacher education in other similar post-colonial lower-middle-income countries.

Anjum Halai has a long-standing and international experience in education in low-income and lower-middle-income countries like Pakistan and those in East Africa. She obtained her doctoral degree from Oxford University UK. She was an adjunct professor at the University of Alberta Canada (2011–2016) and a research fellow at the Centre for International Education, School of Education & Social Work, University of Sussex UK. Her research interests are in social justice issues in education. She has published widely in the area of mathematics teacher education, and on issues related to language and gender in education. She led the task force set up at the Aga Khan University (AKU) to develop a policy on awareness and prevention of gender-based harassment. She is a member of the Advisory Committee on Women’s Leadership Academy at AKU. Anjum Halai plays an active role on several international forums to enable equitable participation in education of youth, especially young women from disadvantaged contexts. These forums include the International Commission of Mathematical Instruction-Berlin, the Commission of Developing Countries, and the World Academy of Art and Science. As a founding dean (2018–22) Anjum Halai led the development of AKU’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Currently, she is serving as Professor of Education and regional Vice Provost at AKU in Pakistan.

Interesting Facts

• Addresses post-pandemic educational challenges
• Examines teacher training evolution in Global North and colonial contexts
• Analyzes impact of political economy on education
• Written by a global leader in education
• Explores marketisation of education in Pakistan
• Considers sociocultural dynamics affecting teacher education
• Particularly relevant for LMICs competing globally

Expert Endorsements

• Carl Amrhein (Provost & VP Academics, Aga Khan University): Describes it as "must read" for educators and policy makers
• Naureen Durrani (Professor, Nazarbayev University): Praises the comprehensive and informed exploration of the subject

Publishers

Oxford University Press

Hashtags

#TeacherEducation #PakistanEducation #EducationalPolicy #OxfordPakistan #TeacherTraining #EducationReform #GlobalEducation