The Role of Sustainable Teacher Education in Addressing the Difficulties of Globalization in Nigeria in the 21st Century

Abstract

Globalization has reshaped societies by creating closer ties between countries and peoples, but it has also produced new challenges for education in Nigeria. These challenges include cultural assimilation, xenophobia, poor digital literacy, and weak negotiation skills among teachers and learners. In order to respond to these realities, there is a strong need to redesign teacher education programs in Nigeria using a competency-based model that goes beyond theory to practical skills for survival in the 21st century. The study identifies a number of pressing issues. These include the rapid pace of technological change, the inability of teacher education programs to consistently attract highly talented candidates, the limited adoption of learner-centered teaching strategies, and the lack of consistent professional development for teachers. Added to these are Nigeria’s socio-economic realities as a developing nation, which further complicate efforts to achieve sustainability in education. This paper argues that teacher education must be repositioned to produce teachers who are not only transmitters of knowledge but also motivators, facilitators, administrators, leaders, planners, life coaches, and negotiators. Greater attention must be given to developing the capacity of teachers to effectively integrate information and communication technologies (ICT) into the teaching–learning process. Strengthening this capacity will help prepare educators who can respond to the complexities of globalization while promoting values such as empathy, respect, and cultural understanding in the classroom.