Structure of the presentation

1. Eurydice Presentation at the Conference ‘Europe needs Teachers’ organised by ETUCEBrussels, 12 June 2006

2. Structure of the presentation 1. Scope and Definitions 2. Accreditation and Evaluation of Initial Teacher Education 3. Accreditation and Evaluation of In-Service Teacher Education 4. Quality Assurance in Teacher Education: Future Challenges

3. Scope of the study • 30 countries covered • Reference year: 2005/06 • Teacher education for general compulsory and upper secondary education (ISCED 1-3) • Evaluation types focusing on the quality of provision of teacher education

4. Definitions Evaluation: A general process of systematic and critical analysis leading to judgments and/or recommendations for improvement regarding the quality of a (teacher) education institution or programme. Accreditation: A process by which an institution or a programme is judged by the relevant legislative and professional authorities as having met predetermined standards in order to provide (teacher) education or training and to award the corresponding qualifications (where they exist). The accreditation procedure presupposes that the programmes or institutions to be accredited are evaluated.

5. The Accreditation and Evaluation of Initial Teacher Education

6. 1. Specific or general regulations on accreditation/evaluation 2. Main features of external and internal evaluation 3. Frequency 4. Use made of results Issues

7. Official regulations for the evaluation of initial teacher education • General regulations on the evaluation of higher education apply to the evaluation of teacher education • In a few countries, specific regulations do also exist, and apply only to a particular stage of initial teacher education

9. Main features of external evaluation (1) • Coordinated by an evaluation agency or evaluation committee or an independent body • Evaluators are peers and/or evaluation experts • Evaluation is based on a site visit and on internal evaluation results

10. Main features of external evaluation (2) • Legislation on higher education, a list of evaluation criteria and documents concerning teacher education are used to draw up evaluation criteria • Evaluation criteria cover a variety of issues

11. Frequency of external evaluation • Evaluation conducted at fixed intervals: • Intervals of 1 to 12 years, fixed or maximum • Evaluation conducted at variable intervals:Frequency fixed by the evaluators and/or the institution evaluated

12. Main features of internal evaluation • Less regulated than external evaluation • Coordinated mainly by the management or an evaluation committee • Management, academic staff and students participate • Internal evaluation criteria are often based on external evaluation criteria

13. Frequency of internal evaluation • In most countries, internal evaluation is undertaken annually • In some countries, it takes place at least every 3 to 10 years • Internal evaluation is often linked to external evaluation. However, in many countries, internal evaluation occurs more frequently.

14. Use of evaluation results • Evaluation follow-up • Impact on (re-)accreditation of programmes or institutions • Impact on funding • Publication of findings

16. Publication of evaluation findings • The publication of external evaluation results is compulsory in 19 countries • Results are usually available to the management of institutions and their academic staff and students • The publication of internal evaluation results is compulsory in 6 countries only

17. The Accreditation and Evaluation of In-Service Teacher Education

18. 1. Types of providers of in-service teacher education 2. Existence of official regulations on accreditation/evaluation 3. Main procedures 4. External bodies undertaking accreditation/evaluation 5. Scope 6. Frequency 7. Use made of results Issues

19. Higher education institutions • Institutions for initial teacher education • Public authority in-service teacher education centres • Teacher unions or teacher associations • Private-sector training centres (i.e. private language schools) • Other providers (e.g. NGOs, private companies) Types of providers of in-service teacher education

20. Existence of official regulations onaccreditation/evaluation

21. Ministry of education • Agency for evaluation or evaluation committee • Independent body working on behalf of public authority • Inspectorate for school education  Several bodies responsible in some countries External bodies undertaking accreditation/evaluation

22. External evaluation/accreditation • Analysis of written plan • Analysis of self-evaluation report • Analysis of background documents • Site visit Internal evaluation Main procedures of accreditation/evaluation 11 countries use all or almost all of the procedures, mainly on a compulsory basis

23. Most covered aspects (where regulations exist): • Content of activity and teaching methods • Competences of trainers • Infrastructure (ICT, teaching material etc.) Scope of accreditation/evaluation  No regulations on the scope of accreditation or evaluation in about half of all countries

24.  Subject to regulations in 12 countries only • Annual to up to every six years • Depends also on the procedure followed (self-evaluation, external evaluation or accreditation) Frequency of accreditation/evaluation

25. Award of accreditation • Withdrawal of accreditation • Setting-up of improvement plans, adaptation of teacher education programmes to needs of teachers and schools • Publication of results Use made of results of accreditation/evaluation

26. Quality Assurance in Teacher Education: Future Challenges • Scope and players involved • Acceptance of and trust in evaluation • Frequency • The further use of results

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28. Publication of evaluation findings • The publication of external evaluation results is compulsory in 18 countries • Results are usually available to the management of institutions and their academic staff and students • The publication of internal evaluation results is compulsory in 5 countries only