On the Role of the Teacher in Contemporary Society

Abstract

The present paper is based on the keynote lecture given at a seminar on “Teachers as change agents in highly diverse learning contexts”. The author confronted the challenge posed by the subject by trying to draw general conclusions from an analysis of multifaceted concrete examples. Drawing from his expertise in literary studies, he pointed to similarities between Western and Thai thinking in their sense of history. At the same time, teachers of today must understand global socio-cultural, economic, and political contexts which have become increasingly varied and complex. They must also keep abreast of rapid changes under the dictates of the virtual world. What is going on at the macro level may not give us much hope. Nonetheless, if one probes into the deep structure of culture that underpins everyday life of the common people, one might see light at the end of the tunnel, especially, when all who are involved in education are intent on cultivating moral awakening. Ultimately, learning is a two-way traffic: teachers can learn as much from their pupils, who in traditional terms are usually regarded as learners.