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The authors use Hong Kong's policy on initial teacher training as a case study of the relationship between international trends and local policy, providing insights into policy formation. Initial teacher training has traditionally been provided by higher education institutions in most countries. In recent years, the number of alternative pathways have grown in the US and the UK. University-based routes have also been criticised as a barrier to entry to the profession for capable candidates. It is argued that these trends have had a significant effect on initial teacher training policy in Hong Kong. Untrained teachers met shortfalls in teacher supply until 1997, when government policy required all new teachers to hold degrees and be professionally trained. This policy was short-lived and the authors argue that there is substantial evidence that policy has been influenced by international trends in alternative pathways.

This book provides perspectives on teacher education in the Asian region, presenting research from Australia, Japan, the USA, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam. The contributors examine the varied situations teacher educators experience in their own countries, identifying similarities and differences in comparison with the dominant Anglophone research literature on the same subjects. The book was published as a special issue of 'Journal of education for teaching: international research and pedagogy'. The chapters are: Introduction; Teachers' role in the transition and transmission of culture; Alternate routes in initial teacher education: a critical review of the research and policy implications for Hong Kong; Teacher education in a global context: towards a defensible theory of teacher education; Educators in American online universities: understanding the corporate influence on higher education; Developing a 'feedback cycle' in teacher training: local networking in English education at Keiwa College; Gender inequality among Japanese high school teachers: women teachers' resistance to gender bias in occupational culture; Teacher induction across the Pacific: a comparative study of Canada and Japan; Reform of teacher education in China; Early childhood teacher education in China; English education and teacher education in South Korea; Development of primary English education and teacher training in Korea; Educational reform and teacher education in Vietnam; Afterword.

Many higher education institutions in the US are offering their courses online and teachers are facing a number of challenges associated with pedagogical changes, different relationships with students, and the need for redefining their role. Higher education institutions are operating in a climate that demands measurable goals and mandatory accountability. The author examines online education and the influence of corporate culture with a focus on the perspective of the teachers. The research involved observation of virtual classrooms in proprietary higher education institutions offering extensive courses online and interviews with the teachers at these institutions.

In this paper, the author explores the current situation for teachers and teacher education in Vietnam and analyses international aid projects operating there to provide support to teacher education. Current educational reforms have been heavily influenced by world trends and it is important for teachers to learn new methods of instruction. A significant proportion of international assistance has been targeted at strengthening teacher education in this direction. Projects provided by the World Bank, Belgium and Japan are analysed and the challenges for international assistance for teacher education identified.

The author begins this chapter with an overview of the educational system and an assessment of higher education in both Canada and Japan, then compares and evaluates their provision of teacher induction. Educational reforms to enhance the role of teachers are proposed. Canada provides well-developed pre-service teaching programs but provides no support to graduates in their first year of teaching. In contrast, Japan provides a comprehensive internship lasting for a year and serving as an effective apprenticeship induction model focusing on assistance rather than assessment.