Teacher Education at Vxj University

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Teacher Education at Växjö University
The Faculty of Teacher Education
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The Swedish School System
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How it works

• A goal-based system with a high degree of local
  responsibility
• Main responsibility lies with the municipalities
  and authorities responsible for independent
  schools
• Overall national goals set out by Swedish
  Parliament and Government in
• The Education Act
• Curricula
• Course syllabi for compulsory school etc.
• Programme goals for upper secondary school
• Municipalities are to distribute resources and to
  organise education such that students are able to
  achieve the national goals
• Individual schools, preschools and leisure-time
  centres can then choose work methods suited to
  their local conditions - this work is followed up
  in annual Quality Reports

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The National Agency for Education

• Central administrative authority for the Swedish
  public school system
• Covers children, young people, and adults, as
  well as preschool activities and child care for
  school children
• All audits focus are on asserting the right of
  each individual to knowledge and personal
  development
• NAs role is
• to define goals in order to administrate
• to inform in order to influence
• to review in order to improve

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Higher Education in Sweden

• The 2007 Higher Education Reform
• Sweden should be a leading knowledge nation
  characterised by high quality education and
  lifelong learning for growth and justice.
• The knowledge society must be open to everyone,
  regardless of such factors as social background,
  gender, ethnic origin, religion or other belief,
  sexual orientation, disability or place of
  residence.
• From The Higher Education Act (19921434) and the
  revised Higher Education Ordinance (1993100)

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Higher Education in Sweden

• 14 full Universities and 22 Higher Education
  Institutions under the responsibility of the
  Ministry of Education and Research
• 10 private educations providers (e.g. Chalmers
  University of Technology, and Stockholm School of
  Economics)
• Main task is to organise educational programmes
  based on scientific of artistic foundations and
  proven experience
• HE institutions are expected to cooperated with
  the surrounding society and to provide
  information about their activities
• Required always to develop and make use of gender
  equality and to promote understanding for other
  countries and for international conditions
• General objectives of all HE, in addition to the
  knowledge and skills in the area covered by the
  programme itself, are that the students should be
  given
• a capacity for independent and critical thought
• a capacity to solve problems independently
• a capacity to follow progress in their field of
  knowledge
• HE programmes should also develop students
  capacity to exchange information at a scientific
  level. There are also specific objectives for the
  various degrees.

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Växjö University short facts

• Established in 1967
• Full University privileges in 1999
• 3 Faculties, 7 departments, Teacher Education,
  Police Education
• 15 000 students, 94 full programmes (52 basic
  level 42 advanced level), 1 200 courses, 50
  disciplines
• International partner universities in 43
  countries
• From 2010 merged with Kalmar University College,
  forming the new Linnaeus University (read more at
  www.nyttuniversitet.se/nyttuniversitet/inenglish)

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Teacher Education at Växjö University

• Established in Växjö 1841
• 1 400 Campus-, or on-site students
• 800 off-site students in online / e-programmes
• Regional Education Programme for principals /
  headmasters
• A particular programme for educating remedial
  teachers (for teaching children with special
  needs)
• Online Vocational Teacher Education

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The Teacher Education Programme

• Involves all faculties at VXU
• Interdisciplinary all but one department
  collaborate
• Comprises 10 - 20 weeks of work-related practise
  for all teachers. Extensive vocational relations
  are very important for all involved - students,
  teachers and administrators
• Based on and closely associated with didactic
  research at VXU. Connectivity available through
• the students degree project
• post-graduate teacher studies
• M.A. courses and programmes for professionally
  active teachers

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The Teachers Certificate

• 210 ECTS (3½ years of studies)for a pre- and
  compulsory school diploma (pupils 6-12 years old)
• 270 ECTS (4½ years of studies)for a secondary
  compulsory school diploma (pupils 13-16 years
  old)
• 270 330 ECTS (4½ - 5½ years of studies) for an
  upper secondary school / sixth form diploma
  (pupils 16-19 years old)

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Programme structure

• 90 ECTS of professionally oriented studies
• 60 - 180 ECTS of disciplinary studies
• 60 - 90 ECTS to further deepen or broaden your
  teacher profile
• A 15-ECTS degree project / essay
• 10 - 20 weeks (15-30 ECTS) of work-related
  practise (included in all disciplinary studies
  and in the professionally oriented studies)

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Web-based management

• Comprises a system for study planning and
  prognosis, a system for locating the work-related
  education.
• Facilitates the every-term choice of courses for
  students, hopefully preparing the way for a more
  mature and well-founded choice.
• Makes it easier for students to visualize the way
  up to their degree, enabling mental preparation
  for future studies, and hopefully reducing the
  number of drop-outs.
• Facilitates keeping track of the multiple choices
  all teacher students have to make during their
  period of training.

• Produces vital statistics in order to predict
  certain facts, e.g. number of students on
  specific courses each semester, and number of
  students in need of a trainee post in each
  subject each semester, and so on.
• Generates alerts for students failing their
  courses. Easier for study advisors to detect
  students in need of counselling.
• Provides means for spotting students who make
  less successful choices of courses, e.g. bad
  combinations of subjects considering present
  labour market opportunities, etc.