TEACHERS TODAY - PROMOTERS OF SOCIAL CHANGE?
TEACHERS TODAY - PROMOTERS OF SOCIAL CHANGE?

Summary/Abstract: This article discusses the problem of teachers' formative impact on the development of specific psychosocial competences in nowadays world: tolerance, cooperation, intellectual courage, critical thinking, etc. Nowadays there is a gap between the students’ and teachers’ psychological profiles: students are digital, and teachers are analogue. In these circumstances, the question arises: Can teachers be promoters of social changes for students in the digital society? In what way? The psychosocial competence, understood in a constructivist way as anticipated by Dewey, can be found in contemporary professionals in social sciences and educational sciences: teacher as agents of change (Fullan, 1993), teachers as facilitators of learning (Siebert, 2001), teachers as "public intellectuals" (Aronowitz & Giroux, 1997). Are teachers aware of their role as agents of social change? The main goal of this study was to analyse the teachers’ perception on their role as promoters of social values in the digital society. A questionnaire regarding students’ and teachers' perceptions on teachers’ role as agents of social changes and focus-groups were used. A number of 160 participants were included in the study, teachers and students, from Transylvania University of Brasov. Conclusion: One of the main conclusions to be drawn is that teachers must adopt a new mentality about their role in education, their pedagogical practice and professional identity. To develop the new digital citizenship and to promote social values, the new communication technologies are helpful. Teachers can be promoters of social values only if they use the new communication technology in a critically and constructive way.

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