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. ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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. ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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. ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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 ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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 ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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. ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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 ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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 %, No:31% • 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% ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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. ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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. ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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% ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

12. Trends in the latest changes of teacher education How satisfied are you with the latest changes within teacher education concerning the following areas? ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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% ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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. ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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. ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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 ? ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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. ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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. ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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 ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

20. Provision of professional development ETUCE survey on trends in teacher education

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