Globalization and the Impact of ICT on Teachers’ Work and Professional Status

Globalization as a process of increased communication and information transfer relies on access to and use of information and communication technology (ICT). The development of a “networked” society creates demands for digital communication and provides ready access to specialized knowledge and alternative models of practice. For teachers, ICT impacts the nature of their work as well as their ability to access professional development. ICT offers the possibility of ready access to both curricular materials and professional development, increasing the time teachers must spend to stay “current” in their field. ICT also expands teacher access (in communities with sufficient technological infrastructure) to geographically isolated students or communities. ICT also promotes the grassroots sharing of curricular material and can promote communication and group activism among teachers. As a “mass” profession, teachers are in a weaker position than established professions (e.g., medicine) to control the ways in which new technologies shape their work. Globalization, paradoxically, has resulted in a more professionalized role for teachers in a few nations while in general eroding the professional status of teaching in many others. ICT also affects individual teachers’ lives by increasing demands for personal communications with parents and students. Future developments (e.g., AI, social robots, etc.) may further weaken teacher autonomy and shift the teacher’s role to one of communication coordinator.