Building a Better Normal

Priya Goel is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong.Jonathan Simmons earned his Ph.D. from the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut, USA.Smridhi Marwah is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, New Zealand.Lars Andersson is Director of Education and Associate Professor at Malmoe Academy of Music, Lund University, Sweden.Sinikka Neuhaus is Head of Teacher Education, Head of Department and researcher at the Department of Educational Sciences, Lund University, Sweden.Marian Mahat is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

The collegiality of the Universitas 21 Deans of Education group and their mentorship of FINE (Forum for International Networking and Education) was the springboard for this insightful book, containing an inspiring collection of educational initiatives. It focuses on how Schools of Education in the U21 network grappled with and got through the COVID-19 pandemic, for example how they could quickly adopt new technologies without compromising educational quality.Each chapter focuses on a different and innovative response to education during the pandemic and its aftermath, capturing a unique moment in our history and the magnified issues around equity, access, educational opportunity and mental health that came to the fore during this time.Alongside the expertise highlighted within each chapter, this book also importantly provided mentorship opportunities for Graduate and Early Career Researchers in FINE to co-edit and produce the publication.This book furthers our understanding of how in our new normal, Schools of Education can provide the resilience for students and educators to thrive in the years ahead. I warmly recommend this book to those engaged in education to explore what can be achieved when change is the only constant.

• Chapter 1. Towards a better normal: Schools of education during the COVID-19 pandemic; Marian Mahat Chapter 2. Beginning to cultivate a diverse teaching force through early college experience in Connecticut; Jason Irizarry, Yuhang Rong, and Saran Stewart Chapter 3. Challenges faced by a new educational model and the community at Monterrey Tech: Post-pandemic perspectives; Judith Aurora Ruíz Godoy Rivera, Paulina Campos Villaseñor, Rafaela Bueckmann Diegoli, and Roberto Domínguez Cáceres Chapter 4. Navigating the challenges of emergency remote teaching at the University of Johannesburg; Nadine Petersen, Jacqueline Batchelor, and Sarah Gravett Chapter 5. Ambiguity, arguments, and visions: First year teacher student voices on digital teaching during Covid-19; Sinikka Neuhaus and Helena Berglund Chapter 6. How can university teacher educators contribute towards a ‘better normal’ within a highly regulated policy space?; Stefanie Sullivan and Joanna McIntyre Chapter 7. Transforming education for a post-COVID world; Jim Watterston, Janet Clinton, Sophia Arkoudis, Lorraine Graham, Suzanne Rice, and John Quay Chapter 8. Making space for learning; Anna Houmann and Lars Andersson Chapter 9. Beyond perseverance: Developing academic resilience for a better normal; Priya Goel, Elizer Jay de los Reyes, Ga Young Chung, Asma Zulfiqar, Marian Mahat, Caroline Cohrssen, Jo Blannin, and Ethel Villafranca Chapter 10. What did I sign up for? Navigating graduate study during a pandemic and beyond; Jonathan Simmons and Smridhi Marwah Chapter 11. Building a better normal, where to now?; Bairbre Redmond