BLENDED LEARNING AND FLIPPED CLASSROOM STRATEGIES FOR 21ST CENTURY TEACHER EDUCATION: PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

The digital revolution, in its very essence, has provided a sweeping change to the teaching-learning processes, with the quest for blended learning and flipped classroom concepts gaining prime position in modern pedagogy. This paper seeks to understand how the integrative use of web resources with face-to-face modes of instruction promote student engagement, active learning, and paced instruction. In an online flipped classroom, traditional lecture content is displaced with pre-class online videos so as to engage students in collaborative and application-oriented activities inside the classroom. By comparison, with blended models such as rotation and flex, the emphasis is placed on allowing maximum flexibility in delivering material. Through an analysis of secondary literature and practical experiences within Indian teacher education institutions, this paper justifies the pedagogical modelling, technological tools, and implementation issues involved in such approaches. The main findings indicate that factors in the successful implementation include teacher preparedness, digital infrastructure availability, and learner motivation. The article also delves into the blended approaches' relevance and application in the post-pandemic world, describing their application throughout the pandemic. To assure the appropriate integration of blended learning and flipped classroom, support of educational institutions and capacity-building of teachers are essential. The study adds to the ongoing discourse on creative pedagogy with pragmatic insights and suggestions for the sustainable use of technology-based teaching in teacher education programs.