scholarly journals The European Teacher: Transnational Perspectives in Teacher Education Policy and Practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 11-27
Author(s):  
Michael Schratz
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
National Identities ◽  
Teacher Professionalism ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Teacher Education Policy ◽  
Teacher Competences ◽  
Career Structure ◽  
Unity In Diversity

The future role of teachers in Europe will contribute to raising the awareness of a new expectation of what it means to be a “European Teacher”. If there is unity in diversity through national identities, the question remains: what makes a teacher “European”? Answering this unusual question, one encounters several aspects that have strong national traits ofwhat it means to teach in a particular country (e.g. political culture), which still does not enable teachers to easily move their employment from one country to another because of differences in career structure, teacher education, selection and recruitment, etc. However, there are many similarities in general teacher competences that are required throughout Europe and beyond. This paper looks at teacher professionalism from various perspectives, attempts to discern the “Europeanness” in teachers’ work and mobility as a goal, and highlights particular policy development areas necessary to stimulate further discussions. The depiction of a European Doctorate in Teacher Education concludes the paper.

scholarly journals Editorial: Perspectives on teachers’ transdisciplinary professional competence

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Bjørn Smestad ◽  
Monica Johannesen ◽  
Hanne Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Teacher Qualification ◽  
Teacher Competences ◽  
Core Concepts ◽  
Diversity Competence

What are the prevalent understandings of the concept of teachers’ professional competence? What knowledge forms and learning arenas are significant in developing teacher competences for the 21st century? In what ways can transdisciplinary goals of teacher education (such as diversity, research and development (R&D) and digital competence) contribute in forming teachers’ professional competence? This special issue’s contributions address a variety of perspectives on core concepts for understanding the complexity of teachers’ professional competence. They define, question and criticize the prevalent epistemological and ontological understandings within teacher qualification. They include theoretical and empirical papers addressing a variety of perspectives on teacher qualification and teachers’ professional competence, with a particular focus on the role of modes of knowledge, learning arenas and multidisciplinarity as contributors to transdisciplinary goals in teacher qualification. In addition, contributions illustrate dimensions of teachers’ professional competences such as teachers’ diversity competence, teachers’ R&D competence and teachers’ digital competence. 

Venture Philanthropy and Teacher Education Policy in the U.S.: The Role of the New Schools Venture Fund

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Zeichner ◽  
César Peña-Sandoval
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Policy ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Current System ◽  
The United States ◽  
New Schools ◽  
Venture Philanthropy ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
The U.S

Background & Purpose This article focuses on the growing role of venture philanthropy in shaping policy and practice in teacher education in the United States. Our goal is to bring a greater level of transparency to private influences on public policy and to promote greater discussion and debate in the public arena about alternative solutions to current problems. In this article, we focus on the role of one of the most influential private groups in the United States that invests in education, the New Schools Venture Fund (NSVF), in promoting deregulation and market-based policies. Research Design We examine the changing role of philanthropy in education and the role of the NSVF in developing and promoting a bill in the U.S. Congress (the GREAT Act) that would create a system throughout the nation of charter teacher and principal preparation programs called academies. In assessing the wisdom of the GREAT Act, we examine the warrant for claims that education schools have failed in their mission to educate teachers well and the corresponding narrative that entrepreneurial programs emanating from the private sector are the solution. Conclusions We reject both the position that the status quo in teacher education is acceptable (a position held by what we term “defenders”) and the position that the current system needs to be “blown up” and replaced by a market economy (“reformers”). We suggest a third position (“transformers”) that we believe will strengthen the U.S. system of public teacher education and provide everyone's children with high-quality teachers. We conclude with a call for more trenchant dialogue about the policy options before us and for greater transparency about the ways that private interests are influencing public policy and practice in teacher education.

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