In September 2024, MIC Thurles lecturers, Dr Nigel Quirke-Bolt and Molly Daly, published a special issue as guest editors with the US-based Journal of Technology & Teacher Education (JTATE) entitled: International Perspectives in Technology and Teacher Education: Connecting, Communicating, and Collaborating.
This special issue was first formulated during an International Perspectives Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) Conference in New Orleans, 2023. Nigel and Molly co-chair the International Perspectives SIG, which currently has over 650 members. This group aims to provide a forum where participants can share their use of technology in teacher education as well as develop their own educational praxis and professional development.
Speaking about his role as editor, Nigel said: "Working as a guest editor on this special issue has been a wonderful experience. Our call for papers met with an overwhelming response and we were inundated with a considerable number of high-quality submissions. It was very difficult for us to narrow this response down to the seven papers that were eventually chosen! Our biggest regret is that we couldn't include more examples of the amazing work being carried out by our teachers and teacher educators in the special issue.”
The SIG meeting, which took place in New Orleans, was attended by delegates from a diverse range of backgrounds and countries who were eager to share their stories and experiences with each other. During this meeting each attendee was given the opportunity to introduce themselves and to outline their own context and the type of work and research in which they were involved. Arising from this, three common themes emerged: firstly, a student-focused vision of education; secondly, an enquiring approach to new uses of both traditional and emerging technologies; and thirdly, a desire to further their own understanding and practice and to create effective and vibrant learning experiences for their students.
Dr Richard Hartshorne, Editor-in-Chief of the JTATE, was present at this meeting and suggested that SIG members might wish to share their research in an International Perspectives JTATE special issue. This call served as the origin for this special issue.
SITE has a clear purpose and aim to disseminate research related to the developments in the practice of teacher education that use technology in providing diverse, equitable, and inclusive engagement. This aim is enshrined in the work of the SITE International Perspectives SIG and is evident in the research articles shared in this special issue, with a key focus of the articles in this issue being scholarly research and innovation that enhance the use of technology within teacher education and educational contexts.
