The Teacher Education and Interdisciplinary Research (TEIR) Conference is an annual conference that is organized by the University of South Africa and held in different provinces in South Africa as well as SADC countries. Its purpose is to accentuate the university’s objective of internationalization, strengthening the scholarship of academics and increasing international collaborations. It offers a forum for researchers to engage in multi-stakeholder partnerships and multi- inter- and transdisciplinary (MIT) research practices. It gives a platform for networking among African scholars and beyond, as well as increasing the pool of African academics and researchers. It embraces research engagements and allows developing and emergent researchers to test their research ideas in a less threatening environment and receive mentoring from established researchers.
TEIR focuses on various themes that aim to enhance and advance scholarship in the field of Teacher Education and related fields. These themes include:
- Teacher education at a distance: innovative approaches and strategies for delivering effective teacher education programs remotely, ensuring both formal and epistemological access and flexibility for students.
- Sustainability and quality in teacher education: focuses on ways to promote sustainable practices and maintain high-quality standards in teacher education programs, addressing both contextual and educational aspects.
- Indigenous pedagogies and curriculum decolonization and Africanisation in teacher education: Researchers focusing on examining the integration of indigenous knowledge systems and pedagogies and the decolonization-Africanisation of curriculum in teacher education, fostering inclusivity and cultural diversity.
- Scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education: research and scholarly activities that focus on enhancing teaching and learning practices in higher education, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the field and reflexivity amongst teacher educators.
- Student support in ODE-L/higher institution of learning: Developing effective strategies to provide comprehensive support services to students in open and distance learning/higher institutions, ensuring their success and well-being.
- Integrating ICTs in teacher education: Exploring the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in teacher education, leveraging digital tools and platforms to enhance teaching and learning experiences.
- Open Education Resources (OER): Promoting the use of open educational resources in teacher education, facilitating access to high-quality learning materials that are freely available and adaptable.
- Ethics in teaching and research: research that focuses on ethical considerations and practices in teaching and research within the field of teacher education, ensuring ethical conduct and promoting ethically oriented scholarship.
- Research and innovation in Open Distance Learning: research and innovation in the field of open distance learning, exploring new approaches, technologies, and methodologies to enhance educational outcomes.
- Postgraduate supervision at a distance: developing effective models and strategies for providing supervision and support to postgraduate students.
- Community engaged scholarship in teacher education: focus is on research that promotes community engagement and collaborative partnerships in teacher education, involving local communities and stakeholders to enhance the relevance and impact of teacher education programs.
- Teaching practice in the 21st century: innovative teaching practices and pedagogies that are relevant to the demands of the 21st-century classroom, preparing future teachers to meet the evolving needs of students.
Considering these themes, the Teacher Education and Interdisciplinary Research is transformative, and over the past decade has been one of the vehicles for improving the quality of teacher education, promoting inclusivity and cultural diversity, advancing research and scholarship, supporting students, fostering ethical conduct, driving innovation, and strengthening community engagement in education. We believe that the impact of Teacher Education and Interdisciplinary Research can be far-reaching and significant at both the institutional and national levels. By focusing on the themes mentioned earlier, this conference aims to continue bringing about positive changes in the field of education.
Target audience
Researchers, academics, scholars including emergent scholars, teachers and postgraduate students around the globe.
Frequency
TEIR conference is held annually in different provinces in South Africa as well as SADC countries.