The inaugural lecture of the Public Seminar Series by Governing Body Fellow, Professor Robert Klassen
Abstract
Teachers are the backbone of education, with around 90 million educators shaping the futures of nearly 2 billion students worldwide. However, a serious and growing crisis has emerged as countries face persistent shortages of both current and aspiring teachers. Conventional interventions, primarily financial incentives, have proven to be ineffective, offering only short-term relief without addressing the underlying motivations that attract and alienate potential teachers.
This presentation explores how we can integrate research and theory from education and psychology to develop new and effective approaches to address local and global teacher shortages. Robert will discuss ongoing research that explores the motivations underlying the attraction and retention of teachers, and then demonstrate how we are leveraging these insights to develop new technologies aimed at tackling this persistent global challenge.
About the speaker
Robert Klassen is Statutory Professor of Education at the University of Oxford and Professorial Fellow at Harris Manchester College. From 2012 to 2023, he was Professor and Chair at the University of York in the UK, where he founded and led the Psychology in Education Research Centre. His academic career began at the University of Alberta, where he worked in the Department of Educational Psychology between 2004 and 2012. Prior to his academic tenure, Robert served as an educational psychologist and high school teacher in Vancouver, his hometown. His research focuses on motivation, educational technologies, and teacher workforce issues.
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