Comparing teacher education policies and practices in context

Symeonidis, Vasileios

doi:10.4324/9781003013969-6

Cited by 9 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…From a policy perspective, ITE Europeanisation intends to support the equilibrium between national and overarching European structures and values (e.g. Madalińska-Michalak, 2020; Symeonidis, 2021; Valenčič Zuljan and Vogrinc, 2011). Although teacher education systems in Europe are firmly rooted in national histories and conditions, various studies have suggested that ITE across Europe has converged, showing that policy rhetoric and objectives for ensuring quality in ITE have been addressed (e.g.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although teacher education systems in Europe are firmly rooted in national histories and conditions, various studies have suggested that ITE across Europe has converged, showing that policy rhetoric and objectives for ensuring quality in ITE have been addressed (e.g. Caena 2014a, 2014b; Gassner et al, 2010; Symeonidis, 2021; Zgaga, 2013).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While various fields have managed to harmonise the quality of their study programmes, achieving quality ITE still poses problems (e.g. Caena, 2014a, 2014b; Hudson and Zgaga, 2017; Symeonidis, 2021). Moreover, Caena (2014a, 2014b) has argued that, despite European level reforms influencing quality ITE (for instance: nation-states adopting teacher competence frameworks), tensions arise at national-level policy agenda, since in many nation-states, quality ITE is dominated by national policies and priorities.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, Zgaga (2013) argued that, in many countries, the Europeanisation and policy transfer efforts to reform ITE encountered immediate incomparability and incompatibility. Symeonidis (2021) explains that transnational policy actors hardly ever consider characteristics of national educational contexts, history and tradition and the specific features of the national systems. Hence, Schratz (2014) purports that implementing European initiatives for improving quality in ITE has a close bearing on countries’ vulnerability to ideologies of different stakeholders and national political influence.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The literature on European initiatives in teacher education is wide-ranging (e.g. Caena, 2014a; Gassner et al, 2010; Hudson and Zgaga, 2017; Schratz, 2014; Symeonidis, 2021; Valenčič Zuljan and Vogrinc, 2011). However, ITE remains a recently developed study area within higher education (Hudson and Zgaga, 2008), and, as such, the issue of European initiatives for improving quality in ITE remains under-researched.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Lost in translation? Improving quality in initial teacher education in the framework of European initiatives

Kaçaniku

2022

Policy Futures in Education

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Improving quality in initial teacher education in the framework of European initiatives entails a rather complex process as compared to that of higher education as a general study field. What adds to this complexity is the fact that teacher education continues to be treated as a national concern in all of Europe. This study provides evidence on features and tensions of translating European initiatives for improving quality in initial teacher education by examining the case of Kosovo. Findings from Kosovo, a small and ‘peripheral’ European context, can be of interest to contexts undergoing a similar transition. The study opted for qualitative research. The data was collected over three phases by conducting 15 interviews with six management staff and 28 interviews with 15 teacher educators. Findings build on debates concerning the future of European teacher education, demonstrating that tensions ensue between (external) European initiatives and (internal) local conditions that result in the mistranslation of transferred ideas into institutional practice. The loss in translation is attributed to contextual dynamics reflected at the macro-level (lack of ownership), the meso-level (fragmented organisational culture) and the micro-level (isolated individual and group cultures). The study concludes by endorsing context-oriented stakeholder-wide socialisation as a way forward for tackling and scaffolding local stakeholder tensions, contradictions and one-side approaches. Hence, context-oriented socialisation could address tensions by promoting local ownership, extending organisational culture and stimulating the development of collective values and cultures for a contextualised translation of European initiatives towards improving quality in initial teacher education.

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Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%