The document discusses trends in higher education in the Pacific region and internationally. It covers several topics: 1. Education is shifting from traditional general education to liberal education with more choices and an emphasis on career preparation. This better prepares students for the job market. 2. The student population is becoming more diverse with growing numbers of non-traditional or mature students who have work and life experiences. Curricula need to adapt to support these students' needs. 3. Information and communication technologies are increasingly important teaching tools but didactic instruction should still be maintained. ICT transforms learning but also changes teachers' roles.

1. Changing trends in higher education in the Pacific
and the international context
Plato: Eliza Tokataake, Rotina Tebuaka, Tekonnang
Timee, Teneara Kirarima and Temaiti Teramarawa

2. Overview of the Presentation
Trends and implications
● Education for sustainable development and Longlife
partnership with students
● General to Liberal Education
● Non-traditional students and ICT as a teaching and learning
tools
● Regional trends in higher education

3. Introduction
The trends in higher education regionally and
internationally has proved to be increasing irrespective of
social, economic, cultural and political complexities.
Some of the critical points to be discussed include the
following:

4. Education for sustainable development
Curriculum:
● Kiribati teachers college lecturers do the TPD(Teacher Professional
Development) on the new curriculum for year 1-4. After the discussion with
CDRC people we do the training to all teachers on every islands. In the
workshop we demonstrate the strategies and pedagogies that teachers in
the workforce can assist them in their teaching.
● Every week I went to the CDRC working on the year 5 and 6 Mathematics
scope and sequence.
Teacher Training:
● In the foundation of Mathematics course I teach the preservice students to
understand what Mathematics is and the strategies that can use to teach
Mathematics. To teach what is working mathematically.
● In the course we look at the new curriculum we teach preservice students
the content and pedagogies.
Rotina

5. ● At KTC we partnership with students after graduating.
● After five or six years students came back again to upgrade their standard.
● KTC offer TESOL and ESL and other program depending on the needs of
teachers in each year.
● Most of the time students spend just one term or a year depending on the
program they take.
● Teachers improve their standard and knowledge on other things like
technology and other concept from UNICEF.
● sometimes students selected to be part of the team to help out in teaching
their best subject.
Lifelong partnership with students.
Rotina

6. Regional (Pacific) trend in higher education Eliza.T
● Higher education and economic growth are closely linked (Teichler, 2006,
p. 451).
● The USP established in 1968 as a driver of the Pacific island countries
independent and growth (Thaman, 2008, p. 7).
● Pacific student was growing from a few hundred in 1970s to more than
20,000 in the year 2,008 at the USP.
● In New Zealand 4% of the total tertiary student are from Pacific Island
Countries again in the year 2000 (Anae et al, 2002, pp. 27).

7. Cont… Eliza.T
● 7% increase rate of student enrolment at USP in the mid 2,000 (Thaman,
2008, p. 12).
● But with the existing facilities and limited funding, this might have an
impact on the quality of learning and teaching.
● In addition, the overall Pacific participation to tertiary education is low as
less than 5% of it respective young age group (USP strategic plan, 2013-
2018, p. 16).

8. General to Liberal education Teneara. Kirarima
General education or core curriculum
● globally used (19th C) - curriculum based
● teacher oriented - mandating class to broadening the mind eg, history, arts and
science classes
● limit preparations to students career pathways (D.J. Staley…)
Liberal education
● involves general education + interpersonal skills + values = (skill/task based
curriculum)
● trains the intellect to raise questions and to hazard answers
(W.Edward Farrison), eg, vocational colleges
● provide wide range of choices such as Options in Secondary schools and
directing students to their future careers (KTC, KIT)

9. Teneara. Kirarima
Implications- knowledges and skills delivered in the general education is inadequate for
career purposes
● the provision of the curriculum content is not integrally with ESD and with ICT
● traditionally oriented (setting, assessment and instructional strategies)
Recommendations- a need to redesign and restructure the curriculum from traditionally
and content based to progressive and task based
● a shift from“instructivism” to developmentalism,”(Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C.
(2006).
● a need to integrate space,variety of assessment and instructional pedagogies to
make the learning more meaningful and to foster education for sustainable
development (ESD)
The emergence of global sustainability suggests that HE should be a catalyst for
sustainability progress in academic and practical innovation. ( Corcoran P.B et al 2010)
KTC is one such tertiary that embed its curriculum in the liberal education to meet this
changing trend in HE through its courses such as TESOL, ESL and with the outer island
TPD programs

10. Traditional to non-traditional students
★ Traditional student: students who enroll in tertiary schools straight after graduation from school.
★ Non traditional students: matured learners who re-enter the institution again for acquiring qualification;
diploma ( Eileen, 1997) For instance, KTC intake criteria considered graduate (50%) and matured
(50%)students.
What causes the transformation?
Globalization and Internalization ( Altbach et al 2009,pg 23)
Positive impact on ESL course
● Experienced, knowledgeable, resourceful with real life situations.
● Some understand the English language such as ex-seminarians and Primary school monitors.
Negative impact on the course
● Most have come with social, economic and academic complexities
● Hinder the learning
Recommendation
● The course need to be redesigned to be inquiry based
● Respected to be valued
Temaiti

11. Continued
ICT as a teaching tool ( Oliver, 2002 pg 1-7)
● one of the agents of changes
● effective means of educational practices in the 21st century
Impacts on what is learned ( ESL, TESOL, Content Based Area)
● competency and performance based curricula
● information literacy
Impacts on how students learn
● students centered, inclusive, knowledge construction is highly supported and
internet based
● The learning with ICT can happen any place and any time
However, ICT
● transform teaching and learning
● take teachers’ responsibilities/roles in future
● but makes the students learning easier
Recommendation
ICT should be continuously enhanced but didactic method and student centered
instruction should be maintained
Temaiti

12. References
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Farrison, W. E. (1946). General and Liberal Education. Phylon (1940), 375-381.
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13. cont..
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