A Study of Teacher Training in the United States and Europe

Abstract

Governments and multilateral organizations frequently employ comparative studies, which are receiving increased attention in the contemporary process of globalization. Within the assessment of educational policies, this comparison is used to define the parameters of quality and the models of efficiency, and it allows us to see the roles that policy-makers pursue to confer upon the educators. The present paper focuses on the teacher training for general secondary school teachers in Spain, United States (Texas) and in two small states in Europe, namely Luxembourg and Iceland. In Spain, the adaptation of university degrees to the European Higher Education System (EHES) has resulted in the creation of a new compulsory Master’s degree, which is required in order to become a secondary education teacher. In Luxembourg, future secondary school teachers need to pursue their Master’s degree abroad, whereas in Iceland and due to new legislation teachers need to complete a Master’s degree consisting of 300 ECTS or equivalent, plus training, in order to become a qualified compulsory and upper secondary teacher. The aim of this study is to perform a comparison of the main elements that make up the three models analyzed of teacher training: duration, curriculum (disciplinary training, teaching and practice) and the induction process, in order to draw conclusions that provide elements of analysis for evaluating models of initial teacher training.