Mälardalen University Press Dissertations No. 118 IN QUEST OF THE GLOBALLY GOOD TEACHER EXPLORING THE NEED, THE POSSIBILITIES, AND THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF A GLOBALLY RELEVANT CORE CURRICULUM FOR TEACHER EDUCATION Kamran Namdar 2012 School of Education, Culture and Communication Copyright © Kamran Namdar, 2012 ISBN 978-91-7485-058-1 ISSN 1651-4238 Printed by Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden Mälardalen University Press Dissertations No. 118 Mälardalen University Press Dissertations No. 118 IN QUEST OF THE GLOBALLY GOOD TEACHER EXPLORING THE NEED, THE POSSIBILITIES, AND THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF A GLOBALLY RELEVANT CORE CURRICULUM FOR TEACHER EDUCATION IN QUEST OF THE GLOBALLY GOOD TEACHER EXPLORING THE NEED, THE POSSIBILITIES,Kamran Namdar AND THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF A GLOBALLY RELEVANT CORE CURRICULUM FOR TEACHER EDUCATION Kamran Namdar Akademisk avhandling som för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexamen i didaktik vid Akademin för utbildning, kultur och kommunikation kommer att offentligen försvaras fredagen den 16 mars 2012, 13.00 i Lambda, Mälardalens högskola, Västerås. Akademisk avhandling Fakultetsopponent: Professor Jagdish Gundara, University of London, Institute of Education som för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexamen i didaktik vid Akademin för utbildning, kultur och kommunikation kommer att offentligen försvaras fredagen den 16 mars 2012, 13.00 i Lambda, Mälardalens högskola, Västerås. Fakultetsopponent: Professor Jagdish Gundara, University of London, Institute of Education Akademin för utbildning, kultur och kommunikation Akademin för utbildning, kultur och kommunikation Abstract This primarily theoretical-philosophical study is aimed at identifying the main principles according to which a globally relevant core curriculum for teacher education could be devised at a critical juncture in human history. In order to do that, a Weberian ideal type of the globally good teacher is outlined. The notion of the globally good teacher refers to a teacher role, with the salient associated principles and action capabilities that, by rational criteria, would be relevant to the developmental challenges and possibilities of humanity as an entity, would be acceptable in any societal context across the globe, and would draw on wisdom and knowledge from a broad range of cultures. Teachers as world makers, implying a teacher role which is based on the most salient task of a teacher being the promotion of societal transformation towards a new cosmopolitan culture, is suggested as the essence of the globally good teacher. Such a role is enacted in three main aspects of an inspiring driving force, a responsive explorer, and a synergizing harmonizer, each manifested in a set of guiding principles and an action repertoire. Though a theoretical construct, the ideal type of the globally good teacher is shown to have been instantiated in the educational practices of teachers and teacher educators, as well as in national and international policy documents. Based on the characterization of the globally good teacher, the main elements for developing a globally relevant core curriculum for teacher education are concluded to be transformativity, normativity, and potentiality. The study closes with a discussion of the strategic possibilities for bringing the ideal type of the globally good teacher to bear upon the discourses and practices of teacher education. ISBN 978-91-7485-058-1 ISSN 1651-4238 Dedicated to my daughters Tina and Mandana, and my grandsons Joseph and Noah with the hope that their lives will always center around service to humanity Acknowledgements Always keep Ithaca in your mind. To arrive there is your final destination. But do not hurry the voyage at all. It is better for it to last many years, and when old to rest in the island, rich with all you have gained on the way… (Constantine Cavafi) Writing this dissertation has been for me, in many ways, like the journeys of Odysseus were for him. To begin with, my departure on the voyage was initially a reluctant one. I had always thought of myself as an educational practitioner, and to a great degree frowned upon the academia. But no sooner had I arrived at the gates of a researcher’s Troy than I became enchanted by the life of an intellectual warrior who could, to a large extent, choose his own battles. My journey proved much longer than initially anticipated, even longer than Odysseus’. But during this time I did manage to visit many different lands and to learn from numerous exciting, challenging, and educative experiences. For periods of time, I was distracted by Sirens of other activities, and occasionally the Cyclopes of my own shortcomings brought the project to a halt. But I never quite gave up the dream of one day setting anchor victoriously in Ithaca. As in the Homeric story, I have also had my beautiful Penelope, my wife Parvaneh, who first encouraged me to set off sailing on this particular expedition and who sustained me throughout the long journey. I have had the good fortune of having been inspired and guided by a great many wonderful people throughout the years. They are, indeed, too many to be all mentioned by name. Before starting with individuals, let me thank the Mälardalen University institutionally for having allowed me to use a part of my working time on writing this thesis. My patient, yet dynamically supportive final supervisors, Professors Margareta Sandström and Jonas Stier deserve a special mention and expression of gratitude, as without their dedicated engagement I would not be writing these words now. I am also greatly indebted to Professor Gunnar Berg whose mind mine fell in love with at first hearing, and who subsequently acted as my supervisor. I would like to use this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge the decisive influence Professor Morteza Abyaneh’s mentorship has had on my intellectual development. Professor Pirjo Lahdenperä has been a source of encouragement to me during many years, and made me always feel like all obstacles can be obliterated. My sincere thanks to Dr Mandana Namdar, Dr Partow Izadi, Mr Frank Sundh, Dr Laila Niklasson, Dr Per Sund, Professor Magnus Söderström, Mr Pekka Sarnila, Mr Sama Agahi, Mr Lars Benon, Mr Patrik Johansson, and Mr Mikael Gustafsson for the intellectual and practical support they have extended me in the process of producing this work. The many discussions I have had with my colleagues at Mälardalen University, during train rides, in the department hallways, or during lunch breaks, have each opened a new window of understanding. There are three great educationalists I was privileged to know and learn from throughout the years, who are with us no longer but whom I would like to remember here with abiding gratitude: Mrs Betty Reed, Dr Eloy Anello, and Dr Olle Åhs. Last but not least, I cannot ever sufficiently thank my dear parents who have instilled in me a love of learning from an early age, who have set me an inspiring example as active world citizens, and who have whole-heartedly supported my every step in the field of education. Contents 1 Introduction......................................................................................... 13 1.1 Aim and structure......................................................................... 16 2 General approach and research methods ............................................ 18 2.1 Transgressive approach and its main aspects............................... 18 2.2 Research methods used in this study............................................ 21 2.2.1 Weberian ideal type............................................................ 21 2.2.2 Berg’s Document Analysis................................................. 23 2.2.3 Interviews as dialogical surveys of reality ......................... 24 3 Quo vadis teacher education?: The present study in context.............. 26 3.1 Highlights of relevant current research on teacher education...... 26 3.2 Critique of the quantifying approach to education....................... 31 3.3 Need for new curricular thinking and content.............................. 33 3.4 Need for re-conceptualization of the teacher’s role and key capabilities ................................................................................... 33 3.5 Need for international perspectives in teacher education............. 35 3.6 Need for teacher education as a transformative response to globalization................................................................................. 36 3.7 Contributions of the current study ............................................... 39 4 Groundwork for a justifiably normative educational study ................ 41 4.1 Education as a normative praxis: further perspectives................. 42 4.2 Some key considerations about educational norms ..................... 47 4.2.1 Can value judgments be in keeping with an objective reality and truth?............................................................................ 49 4.2.2 On unity and diversity........................................................ 57 4.3 Towards a justifiably normative study: Coda .............................. 63 4.4 Reconstructionism as an embodiment of justifiably normative education...................................................................................... 68 4.4.1 Good society, educational goals and indoctrination........... 70 4.4.2 Futures perspective, social consensus and group mind...... 72 4.4.3 Defensible partiality and its foundations............................ 74 4.5 Possibilities of justifiably normative education: