The Role of Teachers in the Future: Preparing Students as Self-taught Learners

A note to Thai teachers from Prof Dr. Paitoon Sinlarat

"The Role of Teachers in the Future: Preparing Students as Self-taught Learners "

As the society is changing, so, too, are the teachers’ roles and responsibilities.

In an agrarian society in the past, teachers functioned as leaders, and they were highly respected by members of the society. Whatever they said, students and society believed and followed them. In this respect, the teaching profession, to some extent, was influential and authoritative.

Nowadays, however, most teachers, as society is changing rapidly, find it very challenging to perform the same function as in the past. The students no longer take the words of their teachers seriously. They no longer pin their hope and future on the teachers as they cannot teach them what they must do or what will happen to them. In fact, no one knows what will be lying ahead in the future, and teachers, too, do not know the future. They cannot tell their students what the future will be like; hence, they are less keen to tell the students what and how they should do.

Under this uncertain situation, the best the teachers should be doing is helping their students to be able to teach themselves.