The making of teachers for the twenty-first century: Australian professional standards and the preparation of culturally responsive teachers

The nature of teachers’ work and knowledge has undergone enormous change in the last two decades in Australia. Such change is due to a wide range of factors including increasingly complex student demographics, developments in information technology and the ways in which knowledge is produced and transmitted. Australian classrooms are more culturally diverse than ever before, students are more technologically savvy and school curricula is increasingly complex and expansive. These changes have given rise to ongoing debates about what constitutes quality education and quality teachers and how best to prepare professionals for the twenty-first century.