ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education ETUCE Conference Brussels, 12 June 2006

1
ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education
ETUCE ConferenceBrussels, 12 June 2006

• By
• Jørgen Thorslund,
• Director of Research Development,
• Jens Christian Jacobsen, lecturer,
• University College of Greater Copenhagen.

2
Our perspective

• A University College of Greater Copenhagen - with
  a mission for teachers professional development
  in a lifelong perspective
• In charge of the Danish participation in the OECD
  activity Teachers Matter Attracting, developing
  and retaining effective teachers 2005.

3
Europe Needs Teachers!

• Europe is confronted with a clear contradiction
  between the need for highly qualified teachers
  and the current policy of many member states.
  ETUCE has identified three crucial areas for
  action
• Improving initial teacher education to ensure
  high quality pedagogical and professional
  training to new teachers
• Retaining and recruiting a sufficient supply of
  qualified teachers to maintain and improve the
  quality of the teaching profession
• Ensuring that professional development is an
  integrated part of the teaching profession.

4
The focus of the survey

• To identify, explore and assess trends in teacher
  education in Europe, aiming to obtain information
  regarding how to improve initial teacher
  education, how to retain and recruit qualified
  teachers and how to ensure professional
  development

5
Methods used in the survey (1)

• Methological considerations
• A survey based on a organisational perspective
  not research
• The questionnaire consists of five parts
• Background information The Organisation in the
  National context
• Teacher education
• The relationship between theory and practicum in
  teacher education
• Trends in the latest changes of teacher education
• In-service and postgraduate training
• Survey among the 125 ETUCE member organisations
• distributed through ETUCE secretariat by email
• qualitative data trends to be interpreted

6
Methods used in the survey (2)

• Validation of data
• covering 23 out of 30 countries
• No data from Czech republic, Estonia, Greece,
  Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain or Switzerland
• 33 affiliates out of 125
• Official replies based on contact through the
  ETUCE secretariat
• Replies validity depends on to which extent a
  policy in field has been articulated or mutual
  understanding may be found among affiliate staff
• Detailed answers where elaboration are requested
• Status June 2006
• Replies received from 33 member organization/23
  countries at june 9th
• No in-depth/cross cultural analysis has been
  possible so far
• Final report will be produced in august/sept.

7
Main findings Teacher education

• The Institutional framework of teacher
  education
• Primary college/University college 52
  University 48
• Secondary college/University college 35
  University 65
•  
• Duration of the present teacher education
• Primary school teachers varies from 3 to 5
  years
• Secondary school teachers from 3 to 7 years
•  

8
Teacher education

• Is it a problem to attract qualified candidates
  to teacher education?
• Yes 59 No 41
• Reasons given for No
• employment is guarantied
• shortages in specific subjects,
• admissions qualification may be increased
• Has the government or your union taken specific
  initiatives within the last five years in your
  country to improve the admission qualifications
  or attract more qualified candidates?
• Yes 66 , No31
• Initiatives taken
• Increased demands of entry
• Increased demands of entry in related to
  specific subjects
• Public campaigns
• Changes in teacher education
•  
• Has the government taken initiatives to implement
  the Bologna process in teacher education?
• Yes 81 no 19

9
The relationship between theory and practicum in
teacher education

• Similarities
• The practicum is separated apart from academic
  school-periods. Furthermore the practicum is
  regarded as a separate subject of study along
  with the other scholastic subjects - except for
  Slovakia, according to answers
• Students do have the possibility of working
  interdisciplinary during their formal education -
  except for Austria, Cyprus and Finland, according
  to answers.
•  
• Results from international educational research
  are included and used in most teacher education
  programmes and in teaching practice
• - except for Italy, France and Austria, according
  to answers.

10
The relationship between theory and practicum in
teacher education

• Similarities
• ICT is formally included in all teacher education
  programmes, but it seems that in the Scandinavian
  countries and in central and eastern Europe
  teacher education do not have or use the
  necessary and sufficient economic resources for
  ICT while the old EU-member states say Yes.
• Students do learn about and regularly use
  evaluation strategies in teacher education -
  except for Austria, Denmark and Germany,
  according to answers.
•  

11
Trends in the latest changes of teacher education

• Similarities
• Most countries have seen reforms within recent
  years, but 6 countries have had no reforms since
  2000
•  
• Evaluation of changes
• To which degree is your teachers' union generally
  satisfied with the latest changes in the teacher
  education system?
• 21 are stating very satisfied and 21 not
  satisfied. The majority states neutral (48)
•  
• Does your teachers' union consider the latest
  changes an improvement compared to former teacher
  education?
• An improvement 34 To some extent 39 No
  improvement 17

12
Trends in the latest changes of teacher education
How satisfied are you with the latest changes
within teacher education concerning the following
areas?
13
Trends in the latest changes of teacher education

• Changes to come
• Does your teachers' union expect changes in
  teacher education in the nearest future?
• 62 expects changes in years to come only 17
  answers no
•  
• Has your teachers' union developed a strategy for
  improving your teacher education programmes? 66
  have developed strategies, 34 has not
•  
• Has your teachers' union taken actual initiatives
  to promote this strategy?
• 62 has taken action to promote the strategy, 31
  has not
•  
• Is it a normal procedure for the government to
  consult your teachers' union in questions about
  changes in teacher education?
• Yes 83 No 17

14
In-service and postgraduate training

• Similarities
• In-service and post-graduate training is an
  integrated part of the conditions of employment
  for 52 'to some extent - 34
•  
• Public institutions are the main suppliers of
  in-service and postgraduate training. In 31 of
  the cases, they have the market for themselves.
  In 69 there are private suppliers as well. But
  in no case private suppliers are mentioned as
  sole suppliers.
•  
• Merit award is granted in relation to in-service
  and postgraduate activities (53) but only 8
  organisations (28) notes merit award to be part
  of a collective agreement.

15
In-service and postgraduate training

• Teachers participation in training
• It seems that the employee in some sort of
  agreement with the local leader of the school
  most commonly has the power for decision. In some
  cases (21) local government as well is involved.
  
•  
• Are the conditions for in-service and
  postgraduate training in your opinion
  satisfactory concerning quality, subjects and
  quantity? Quantity seems to bee the most
  important. 66 state not satisfactory, while only
  56 concerning quality and 52 concerning
  subjects offered.
•  
• Has your teachers' union developed a general
  strategy for in-service and postgraduate
  training. 72 states yes and in the additional
  remarks they stress the importance of a strategy
  concerning this matter.

16
Trends observed in relation to crucial areas
for action

• Regarding improved initial teacher education to
  ensure high quality pedagogical and professional
  training to new teachers
• Attraction of qualified candidates to teacher
  education is a problem particularly where
  employment is not guarantied and in 1/3 of all
  countries no initiatives have been taken. In 18
  of countries the Bologna process is not being
  implemented
• The practicum is separated apart from academic
  school-periods. Furthermore the practicum is
  regarded as a separate subject of study along
  with the other scholastic subjects
• ICT is formally included in teacher education
  programmes, but it seems that the Scandinavian
  countries and the newcomers from central and
  eastern Europe do not have and use the necessary
  and sufficient economic resources for ICT?
• Students learn about and regularly use evaluation
  strategies in teacher education in most countries
  but why not in Austria, Denmark and Germany ?

17
Trends observed in relation to crucial areas
for action

• Ragarding retaining and recruiting a sufficient
  supply of qualified teachers to maintain and
  improve the quality of the teaching profession
• Most ETUCE-members have developed strategies to
  retain teachers in the workforce and seem to
  agree on the means to fight too early retirement
  Salary policies, tutoring in the early
  teaching-years, changing of the common demands to
  lighten the working conditions etc.
•  

18
Trends observed in relation to crucial areas
for action

• Ragarding that professional development is an
  integrated part of the teaching profession.
• In-service and post-graduate training is not or
  only to some extent an integrated part of the
  conditions of employment in 51 of countries 
• Public institutions are the main suppliers of
  in-service and postgraduate training.In 69 there
  are private suppliers as well. Should this be
  increased?
• 41 states that they have no statistics whether
  members have participated in in-service or
  postgraduate training
• The majority states that conditions for
  in-service and postgraduate training is not
  satisfactory neither in quantity nor in quality
• 28 of ETUCE members have not developed a general
  strategy for in-service and postgraduate
  training.

19
Professional development in a lifelong
perspective a model for interpretation

• first dimension life long learning from novice
  to expert
• second dimension the learning arena from
  schooling to Collaborative practice

20
Provision of professional development
21
(No Transcript)