Call for Chapters: Innovation, Freedom, and Transformed Teacher Education: Paths to a Living Democracy

Editors

Cristina Mesquita, Transdisciplinary Research Center in Education and Development (CITeD), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal
Elisabete Silva, Transdisciplinary Research Center in Education and Development (CITeD), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal
Rui Lopes, Research Centre in Digitalization and Intelligent Robotics (CeDRI) -Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal
Manuel Pires, Transdisciplinary Research Center in Education and Development (CITeD), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal
Paula Vaz, Transdisciplinary Research Center in Education and Development (CITeD), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal

Call for Chapters

Proposals Submission Deadline: June 28, 2026
 Full Chapters Due: August 30, 2026
 Submission Date: August 30, 2026

Introduction

In times shaped by social uncertainty, political polarisation, and visible inequalities, education re-emerges as a central force in the construction and renewal of democratic life. Democracy cannot be sustained solely through institutions; it depends on citizens capable of critical reflection, dialogue, and meaningful participation in the realities they inhabit. This process is inherently linked to social justice, as democratic values include equitable participation and the recognition of diverse voices. Within this framework, schools become more than spaces for the transmission of knowledge: they are places where freedom is experienced, relationships are formed, and democratic values are cultivated through everyday practice. This book, Innovation, Freedom, and Transformed Teacher Education: Paths to a Living Democracy, is situated within this context of reflection and action. Drawing inspiration from the critical legacies of John Dewey and Paulo Freire, it understands education as a transformative process and teachers as active agents in the construction of more just and democratic societies. It engages with established educational theories, such as experiential learning and critical pedagogy, placing them in dialogue with contemporary challenges, including standardisation, digital mediation, and fragile social bonds, thereby providing a solid theoretical foundation for readers familiar with these frameworks. Addressing these pressing issues aims to inspire a sense of urgency and relevance, motivating readers to consider their role in shaping democratic and social justice-oriented education today.

Objective

This book marks the 10th edition of the International Conference on Teacher Education (INCTE), a decade-long milestone in scientific debate and the sharing of practices. This book aims to: - be a space for reflection and collective construction of pedagogical alternatives that strengthen the vitality of democracy in schools and society. -build bridges between diverse contexts and actors, innovative experiences, and research committed to a school that is a space of freedom, participation, and social justice - articulate Theory and Practice by establishing a praxiological dialogue between schools, higher education institutions, and research centres. The chapters gathered here will provide the research community with insightful and timely approaches to defining school and education in the current era. Furthermore, they seek to explore ways to reimagine teacher education and educational practices as spaces of innovation, critical engagement, and human emancipation. They invite readers not only to reflect upon education as it is, but also to imagine and create education as it might become: a living practice of democracy, grounded in freedom, participation, and hope.

Target Audience

The target audience is specialised and interdisciplinary, including: • Researchers and Academics: Those investigating the role of education and schools in the present time, addressing issues of innovation, democratisation and equity in education, among others. • Educators and Teachers: Professionals seeking to understand new pedagogical ways of addressing the current challenges of the teaching and learning process, as well as to reflect on their role as mediators of democratic values in schools: freedom, equity, social justice and human empathy. • Policy Makers and NGOs: Decision-makers reflecting on the future of learning; stakeholders committed to social justice, participation, and educational reform. • Higher Education Institutions: Stakeholders involved in teacher training and the democratisation of educational resources.

Recommended Topics

The book will select 20 high-quality contributions from diverse international contexts, organised around the following core topics: • Teacher Education for Development and Democratic Citizenship • Inclusive and Equitable Teacher Education • Digital Innovation and Democracy • Curriculum and Teacher Education • Reimagining Teacher Identity • Educational practices and pedagogical supervision • Policy, Governance, and Educational Transformation

Submission Procedure

Researchers and practitioners are invited to submit on or before June 28, 2026, a chapter proposal of 1,000 to 2,000 words clearly explaining the mission and concerns of his or her proposed chapter. Authors will be notified by July 12, 2026 about the status of their proposals and sent chapter guidelines.Full chapters of a minimum of 10,000 words (word count includes references and related readings) are expected to be submitted by August 30, 2026, and all interested authors must consult the guidelines for manuscript submissions at https://www.igi-global.com/publish/contributor-resources/before-you-write/ prior to submission. All submitted chapters will be reviewed on a double-anonymized review basis. Contributors may also be requested to serve as reviewers for this project.

Note: There are no submission or acceptance fees for manuscripts submitted to this book publication, Innovation, Freedom, and Transformed Teacher Education: Paths to a Living Democracy. All manuscripts are accepted based on a double-anonymized peer review editorial process.

All proposals should be submitted through the eEditorial Discovery® online submission manager.

Publisher

This book is scheduled to be published by IGI Global Scientific Publishing, an international academic publisher of the "Information Science Reference", "Medical Information Science Reference", "Business Science Reference", and "Engineering Science Reference" imprints. IGI Global Scientific Publishing specializes in publishing reference books, scholarly journals, and electronic databases featuring academic research on a variety of innovative topic areas including, but not limited to, education, social science, medicine and healthcare, business and management, information science and technology, engineering, public administration, library and information science, media and communication studies, and environmental science. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit https://www.igi-global.com. This publication is anticipated to be released in 2027.

Indexing Information for Prospective Authors

IGI Global Scientific Publishing meets the criteria for inclusion in major indexing services such as Scopus; however, it is important to note that all indexing decisions are made independently by these services. IGI Global Scientific Publishing books are selectively indexed by the indexing organization after publication. Indexing cannot be guaranteed for any book prior to publication, and the indexing organization has complete control over the final selection and timeline.

Important Dates

June 28, 2026: Proposal Submission Deadline
July 12, 2026: Notification of Acceptance
August 30, 2026: Full Chapter Submission
October 4, 2026: Review Results Returned
November 1, 2026: Final Acceptance Notification
November 8, 2026: Final Chapter Submission

Inquiries

Cristina Mesquita
Transdisciplinary Research Center in Education and Development (CITeD), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
cmmgp@ipb.pt

Elisabete Silva
Transdisciplinary Research Center in Education and Development (CITeD), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
esilva@ipb.pt

Rui Lopes
Research Centre in Digitalization and Intelligent Robotics (CeDRI) -Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
rlopes@ipb.pt

Manuel Pires
Transdisciplinary Research Center in Education and Development (CITeD), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
mvp@ipb.pt

Paula Vaz
Transdisciplinary Research Center in Education and Development (CITeD), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
paulavaz@ipb.pt
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