INSPIRing Change in English Language Teacher Education: Integrating 21st Century Skills and Critical Pedagogy

This paper examines the integration of 21st-century pedagogical competencies and Critical Pedagogy in English language teacher training through the INSPIRE (INnovative Strategies in Pedagogy for Inclusive Reflective English-teaching) Program at a Spanish university. Targeting undergraduate students in Primary Education to become English teachers, INSPIRE merged in-depth English language knowledge with innovative teaching methodologies. The program highlighted adaptability, technological literacy, and intercultural sensitivity in English teaching, aligning with 21st-century requirements in education. Embracing Paulo Freire’s Critical Pedagogy principles, the INSPIRE Program promoted an emancipatory and participatory teaching approach. Implementation phases include initial observation, gradual teaching involvement, and specific project development. INSPIRE’s transformative impact is assessed through enhanced linguistic and pedagogical competencies, critical consciousness, and cultural empathy. The paper concludes by emphasizing the significance of innovative, reflective educational approaches in teacher training, preparing future educators as change agents in a diverse, global educational environment.