Teacher Education as Part of Higher Education: The Mission and Challenges

Abstract

In many European countries, teacher education (TE) has been transferred into higher (HE) education and follows the Bologna degrees’ main structures and principles. This chapter focuses on TE as part of HE, especially in Europe, with some references to the global context. The following questions are reflected on: (1) What are the new challenges in HE? (2) What are the recent demands to revise TE programs in HE? (3) What role does research play in teachers’ work and TE? and (4) How can TE fulfill its role in HE and society? These questions are analyzed from policy-level perspectives. TE has triple dependencies when it fulfills its mission. First, TE falls under HE policy, facing tensions of accountability and finance that concern all HE and simultaneously confronting social and environmental challenges that set new global demands for the entire HE system. Second, TE prepares teachers to work in schools in accordance with all the demands linked with teachers’ work at different levels of educational systems. The third dependency is TE’s mission from the value perspective that is linked with wide societal aims, such as equity, democracy, and human rights. The analysis concludes that TE programs must be based on premises that highlight teachers’ high professional status with autonomy and responsibility, strong connections with research and an evidence-based working culture, and an active contribution to society. These demand continuous revisions in TE programs, more communication between society and universities, improved cooperation between disciplines, and increased investment in educational research.