Teacher learning in the centre of developing Education 4.0

Rethinking learning towards education 4.0 (part 3)

Already during the planning of the project, the importance of teacher learning in developing Education 4.0 was recognized. The analyses of WP 1 Preparation further highlighted that. Participating Vietnamese teachers and managers expressed that there is a strong need to change the mindset of teachers. It was emphasized that a growth mindset (see Dweck, 2012) instead of a fixed one seems to be important for teachers in times of change. According to the previous research related to teacher learning in the change (Kunnari, 2018), the growth mindset of teachers requires a holistic approach to students’ learning, attunement to the needs of students, alignment of pedagogical practices according to the targeted competencies, flexibility to organize learning processes utilizing resources available and relying on collaboration with students and colleagues.

Participants expressed that teachers need to develop innovative learning methods, for example, with digital tools and environments and by connecting students’ learning with the world of work in an inspiring way. They also identified that to get by in Education 4.0 and in a globalized environment, teachers’ English skills need to be improved. In our project, we want to build learning moments for teachers where they can cultivate their creativity and English skills at the same time. International interaction can open up new perspectives for Vietnamese partners.

Based on the analyses, the new teacher competencies important in Education 4.0 were designed and divided into three main areas:

• Competence in pedagogy means that teachers are able to design and implement competence-based and student-centred learning to match the needs of Industry revolution 4.0.
• Competence in technology means that teachers are able to effectively use technology to enhance and transform teaching and learning practices towards Education 4.0.
• Competence in the learning ecosystem means that teachers are able to engage with communities within education and industry to create connections and support collaboration needed in Education 4.0.

During the forthcoming development and learning process, Vietnamese teachers will reflect their professional growth based on these competencies. The aim is to build a competence-based implementation for teacher learning by dialogical and co-creative learning moments with aligns to Education 4.0. Digital tools and applications will be widely used and practised. The teachers need to have own experiences as a learner to be able to apply new practices in their own environment. Our process relies on sociocultural and socio-constructivist views about learning (e.g. Lave & Wenger, 1991; Salomon & Perkins, 1998; Vygotsky, 1978), and teacher learning is seen as a dynamic interplay between a teacher and their changing work environment.