International case studies of teacher education at a distance

This volume on teacher training by distance education methods comprises eleven case studies from ten, mainly developing countries. The research leading to this publication was commissioned by UNESCO and led by the International Research Foundation for Open Learning (IRFOL). The editors' hands assured a consistent structure of the case studies facilitating comparisons across different contexts. Not surprisingly the role of ICT in teacher education is still limited (only three of eleven case studies, Chile, Egypt and the UK, report substantial use of ICT). Where distance education is used traditional mass media (print, radio and television) are still the preferred option. However, the case studies give a fascinating approach how the limitations of one-way media are overcome by imaginative organizational arrangements (e. g. the Community Mobilisation Network in the Brazilian case study and the use of Interactive Radio Instruction in South Africa). The case studies give a detailed and sober assessment of the use of distance education for teacher training in a diversity of contexts. The overall conclusion, however, remains that there is enough evidence to show that distance education can be a cost-effective solution for coping with training, upgrading large numbers of teachers, for supporting the continuing education of teachers at their schools and promoting curricular change and innovation.