Need multi-disciplinary talks to cross edu borders’

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 22

A two-day International Professional Development Association (IPDA) Conference-2020 on ‘Cross-border and multicultural perspectives in professional development’ commenced today at Partap College of Education. The workshop is being organised by the college in collaboration with Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia, under the patronage of the IPDA.

The conference witnessed participation of academics and professionals of various disciplines from across the globe. The conference also received representations from diverse cultures and nationalities and will serve as a platform for professionals and academics to share their knowledge in cross-multicultural contexts.

Manpreet Kaur, principal, Partap College of Education, and secretary, IPDA India, said the conference was organised with the objective to identify various borders in education at various levels and bring out ways to overcome challenges posed by these borders.

During the inaugural session, Prof Ken Jones, chair of editorial board, Professional Development in Education, IPDA United Kingdom, discussed about borders in education and laid stress on how teachers must be supported to cross these borders. He also laid emphasis on how the approach of teachers to professional learning would lead to academic optimism.

Jones also talked about education needs to evolve leadership styles that were liberating and encouraged critical thinking to pave way for new ideas. He said: “Confirmatory approach is a barrier to the natural education eco-system that can bring original and creative ideas. There is a need for multi-disciplinary interactions to cross borders of various educational fields. The leaders can play a pivotal role in providing teachers access to opportunities for engaging in cross border activities.”

Balwant Singh, director, Partap College of Education, said there were diverse risks as well as challenges involved in crossing borders at various levels. We must develop capacities and competencies to learn, compete surpass and become leaders who took others along to the path of perfection, he added.

Int’l perspectives in development of teachers

Keynote speaker Fiona King Assistant Professor, School of Inclusive and Special Education, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland, discussed international perspectives in professional development of teachers and said professional development was not defined only by activities, courses or experiences but was as an outcome of these courses, activities and reflections on day-to-day experiences in the classroom.

She corroborated with Jones’ view of confirmatory approach and said: “The approach needs to change from confirming to transforming so as to make way for critical reflection. Professional learning approaches should be identified and selected according to complexity of contexts and situations. It should be challenging to help the teacher evolve from their comfort zones. The role of a leader as a support for developing a teacher’s autonomy and facilitating collaboration for professional learning can go a long way.”

Prof Juenjo Mena from University of Salamanca, Spain, discussed mentoring profile inventory with the audience. He said the tool had the potential to serve exchange beliefs and thoughts of professions across various cultural contexts.

Indian scenario of professional development

Prof Kirandeep Kaur Deptt from the Department Education and Community Services, Punjabi University, Patiala, discussed the Indian scenario of professional development and said teacher’s professional skills needed to be developed, maintaining that the purpose of education was transform-reform-perform.

She said: “Global collaborations help transcend borders and promote inter-cultural understanding. A teacher should perform different roles within and beyond borders and that teachers should not be bound to borders.”

Delegates also presented their papers and posters on various sub-themes of the conference — ‘Exchanging work experiences in different cultural contexts’ and ‘International perspective in professional development’.