(2017). Preparing teacher-students for twenty-first-century learning practices (PREP 21) : a framework for enhancing collaborative problem-solving and strategic learning skills. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 23 (1), 25-41. doi:10.1080/13540602.2016 AbstractWith regard to the growing interest in developing teacher education to match the 21st century skills, while many assumptions have been made, there has been less theoretical elaboration and empirical research on this topic. The aim of this article is to present our pedagogical framework for the 21st century learning practices in teacher education. We will first review the current status of policy frameworks for the 21st century learning skills. Based on our previous work and current understanding in the field of learning sciences, we will next elaborate the processes and strategies for collaborative problem solving skills and strategic learning skills to specify current, rather general claims presented regarding the discussion on 21st century skills. We will also provide concrete case examples facilitating strategic learning skills, collaborative problem-solving skills and the skills to use ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in contexts of our previous studies.

Twenty-first century skills have attracted significant attention in recent years. Student of today and the future are expected to have the skills necessary for collaborating, problem solving, creative and innovative thinking, and the ability to take advantage of information and communication technology (ICT) applications. Teachers must be familiar with various pedagogical approaches and the appropriate ways to use ICT to support the development of their students' twenty-first century skills. The technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework provides a theoretical model for studying the ways in which teachers use ICT in education. Still, the TPACK framework faces certain difficulties, especially concerning the instruments currently used for studying TPACK. These challenges are primarily related to the psychometric properties of the instruments and areas of pedagogical knowledge. Within this paper we introduce a new TPACK questionnaire, the TPACK-21 questionnaire which is grounded on twenty-first century skills. The TPACK-21 questionnaire is validated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results provide a six factor CFA model aligning with the TPACK theoretical framework. Also, the associations among TPACK sub-constructs, and the weak and strong areas of pre-service teachers' TPACK will be discussed.

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In his research, he focuses on issues related to the computer-based assessment of twenty-first-century skills, the analysis of log-file data, and the synthesis of research by metaanalytic structural equation modeling. Evrim Baran is an associate professor in the School of Education at Iowa State University. She conducts research at the intersection of technology in teacher education, humancomputer interaction, and learning sciences. Fazilat Siddiq works as an associate professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway. Her research focuses on the studies of technology in education, including the implementation and evaluation of educational technology, teaching and assessment of the twenty-first-century skills (ie, Digital literacy and collaborative problem-solving). Teemu Valtonen (PhD, Education) is an associate professor in the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). His research interests lie in the use of information and communication technology in education, targeting especially preservice teachers' skills and readiness to use ICT in education. Erkko Sointu (PhD, education) is a postdoctoral researcher (tenure track) of learning and novel teaching methods at the University of Eastern Finland. His research interests lie in the utilization and students' perceptions of flipped classroom/learning (FC/L), technology in education, and strength-based approaches. AbstractThis study aims at investigating the profiles of teacher educators in order to explore their ability to prepare preservice teachers for technology integration in education. Specifically, the current study examines whether teacher educators can be grouped on the basis of their attitudes toward ICT (in education), their ICT self-efficacy to design ICT-rich learning environments, their competencies to use ICT in their teaching practice and the strategies they use to prepare preservice teachers for technology integration. These strategies are included in the SQD (Synthesis of Qualitative Data) model and comprise: (1) teacher educators as role models, (2) reflecting on the role of technology in education, (3) learning how to use technology by design, (4) collaboration with peers, (5) scaffolding authentic technology experiences and (6) providing continuous feedback. Data were collected from a sample of 284 teacher educators in Flanders, the Dutchspeaking part of Belgium, and submitted to latent profile analysis. The added value of the current study lies in the account of how SQD strategies and a typical set of determinants of ICT integration can be associated within teacher educators' profile. Based on the profiles emerging from this study, teacher training institutions should consider their teacher educators to be gatekeepers when preparing future generations of teachers for the learning environments of the twenty-first century. In the discussion section, the implications for practice and future research are discussed.