SOME INITIATIVES ON ICT ENABLED TEACHER EDUCATION IN IRAN

Like any other part of the world, the ICT revolution has influenced almost every aspect of public life in Iran including education. As a developing nation, the need to take appropriate measures to overcome the digital divide is being felt more urgently in Iran as compared to any other country. Iran is not a late starter by any means in this regard. The Government of Iran has initiated multiple actions to keep pace with the latest developments in information technology. The very fact that a large number of professionals engaged in knowledge industry the world over belong to Iran speaks highly of the Iran initiatives in IT education. However, this is only indicative of the qualitative aspect. In terms of quantity, a large number of people are yet to be covered to make a real breakthrough. It is being increasingly realized that a faster way of achieving competency in this field is to integrate it with general education at all levels. For this, the training of teachers in ICT skills is a must. The various schemes and programs have been launched both at government and non-governmental levels to develop ICT skills in teachers. Various universities in Iran have designed specific courses for this purpose. However, in a big country like Iran with millions of teachers at different levels, it is indeed difficult to produce ICTenabled teachers at a large scale within a short period. The problems are complex and issues are numerous. The paper presents an overview of some of the initiatives in this area and highlights the relevant issues, and at the same time indicates directions for future course of action.