Education and Training 2010 Peer Learning Activity, Vilnius 2009

Policy approaches to Practical Classroom Training in ITE

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•European Commission

•DG Education and Culture

•Education Directorate

•School Policy Unit

•Teacher Education =

Paul Holdsworth

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Why Peer Learning?

EU policy cooperation on Teacher Education

What is a Peer Learning Activity?

Policy issues in Classroom Practice in ITE

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Why Peer Learning?

• Member States responsible for organisation and

content of education and training systems

• EU complements their work through:

Lifelong Learning Programme

(Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo …)

‘Education and Training 2020’ programme

of policy cooperation

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Why Peer Learning?

• European policy cooperation helps Member

States meet common challenges by:

developing common principles and goals

benchmarking, mutual monitoring

exchange of experience and good policy practice

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(Ministers of Education 2007):

• “make teaching a more attractive career choice,

• improve the quality of teacher education and

• provide initial education, induction and further

professional development that is

coordinated, coherent,

adequately resourced and quality assured.”

Common EU goals

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Common EU goals

“Ensure that teachers have :• HE qualification, • balance between research-based studies and

teaching practice• specialist knowledge of their subjects,• pedagogical skills …”

“Consider raising level of qualifications and degree of

practical experience required for employment as

teacher …”

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• “Encourage closer links / partnerships between

schools and teacher education institutions

• Ensure that TEIs:

• provide coherent, high quality, relevant TE

programmes

• respond effectively to evolving needs of schools,

teachers, society…”

Common EU goals

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Promote competences that will enable teachers to:

• teach transversal competences

• teach effectively in heterogeneous classes

• use ICT

• collaborate with colleagues, parents,

community

• take part in school development

• become autonomous learners

• engage in reflective practice, research

Common EU goals

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TE provision should be • coordinated

• coherent

• adequately resourced

• responsive

• quality assured

Status, recognition Change the culture

• reflective practice

• research

Improve initial TE • level of qualification

• theory / practice

• core skills

Induction

Improve CPD• autonomous learners

• lifelong learners

Mentoring, support

The EU agenda for Teacher EducationSYSTEMS CONTENT

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Why Peer Learning?

• European policy cooperation helps Member

States meet common challenges by:

developing common principles and goals

benchmarking, mutual monitoring

exchange of experience and good policy practice

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Peer Learning

Peer Learning Clusters

select priority policy issues to analyse

organise Peer Learning

draw policy conclusions

disseminate policy advice in Member States

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Hear / see different policy examples

Share own experiences and ideas

Question

Scrutinise

Discuss

Reflect …

What goes on at a PLA?

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informal

lots of time to d i s c u s s & reflect

opportunity to question stakeholders

mix of small + big group work

dynamic and flexible

requires active participation

focus on policy

What goes on at a PLA?

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Synthesis and conclusions

draw conclusions about successful policies

common factors

what is transferrable?

comments to hosts

Identify your next steps at home

Report back to your Cluster member

At the end of the PLA

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Cluster adopts report of PLA

Cluster members and PLA participants

disseminate findings within Member States

Commission publishes findings

… … Member States implement reforms

After the PLA

Policy issues in Classroom Practice in ITE

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What’s the purpose of CP?

What constitutes ‘good practice’ in teaching?

How is a shared understanding arrived at?

How / where is it described?

How is it observed and measured?

How to define learning outcomes for Classroom

Practice?

Policy issues in Classroom Practice

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How is a ‘successful’ classroom practice

defined?

How are student teachers’ CP assessed?

By whom? Why?

Against which criteria? Whose criteria?

Student teachers’ self-evaluation?

CP and the pedagogy of Teacher Education

CP and the continuum of lifelong Teacher Education?

Policy issues in Classroom Practice

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How are students prepared for CP, and

supported during it?

How are they helped to integrate ‘theory’ and

‘practice’?

How are mentors educated?

How are roles and responsibilities divided?

How is effective cooperation ensured?

Policy issues in Classroom Practice

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How is quality assured?

How does the TEI gather feedback?

What are effective ways to structure CP?

how many hours?

how many separate of blocks of CP?

how much time in total throughout the ITE course?

how many ECTS?

Policy issues in Classroom Practice

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…

…

…

…

Policy issues in Classroom Practice

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In brief…

• Ministers are committed to Improving Quality

of Teacher Education in each Member State

• This PLA is to help you help your Ministers to

do that

• … by learning about each others’ policies

• and returning home with lots of practical ideas