PEDAGOGICAL PARADIGMS IN DYNAMICS: ATTENDING TO TEACHER EDUCATION NEEDS IN NIGERIA IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

With developments in information and communication technology, teacher education cannot be said to be same as before. Unlike the teacher being the major repository of knowledge, he/she is now a facilitator of knowledge to which, unlike before, the students have access through information and communication technology. There is, therefore, the necessity for the teachers of the 21stCentury to present themselves not only as knowledgeable but also as models that students can look up to in this digitalera. To achieve this would warrant that the best entrants are ensured into the teaching profession and scholarships must be provided for education students of higher institutions. Moreover, teaching practice should be made a continuous six-month programme for pre-service teachers while adequate infrastructure should be provided for teacher-training institutions. This paper examines these issues in order to ensure that teacher education needs are met in Nigeria in this 21^st Century.