The Role of Emerging Technologies in Shaping the Futures of Teacher Wellbeing: A Futures-Thinking Perspective

In an era marked by rapid technological transformation taking place against a backdrop of climate insecurity and recovery from the pandemic, the UN is reporting a global shortage of teachers. The wellbeing of teachers and educators underpins their ability to guide and inspire students, and with current reports of teacher shortages in multiple countries and discourse around ways in which AI might supplement or replace teachers and teaching in the future, teacher wellbeing is worthy of focus. The ability to envision and prepare for a variety of plausible futures is increasingly important for educators and educational organisations. Using futures thinking approaches can help individuals and organisations to engage in critical discourse, unravel deep-rooted assumptions, and co-construct plausible and desirable futures that can serve as a starting point for action. This paper introduces the use of futures thinking techniques, including the futures triangle and scenario development to consider the futures of teaching and teacher wellbeing.