Numerous studies emphasise the contribution of inquiry-based learning approaches to positive learning outcomes for students; however, in this study, we explore how a scientific methods assignment may qualify as a profession-oriented, inquiry-based learning approach in teacher education. The paper presents analysis of student teachers' reports on a…

Set against a context of a changing world and a polarised debate around contested understandings of the role and purpose of teacher education, this paper argues that the current performativity dominated approach to teacher education in Europe - focused primarily on classroom-based pedagogical competencies - is insufficient to fulfil the agentic…

In this article, we examine current and future challenges of the teaching profession by reimagining teacher education using Portugal and the USA (i.e. Texas) as examples. Our comparative analyses in this area began in 2016 when we discovered our common research interests and the relevance of these topics for our contexts. In this paper, we…

This paper explores the mobilisation of crisis response and related rhetoric in contemporary European teacher education. Using a critical vertical case analysis of illustrative national, regional, and institutional crisis-mediation settings (Switzerland, Germany, Ireland), we examine how crisis-informed policy response addresses global challenges…

Practitioner research should be sufficiently trustworthy "and" useful. We argue, however, that although criteria of trustworthiness are rather well developed, criteria of usefulness are not. As a result, the long-term impact of practitioner research is rather disappointing because, we contend, it tends to lack practicality. We used…

This article outlines a secondary analysis of two European studies on innovative teacher professional development, through the lens of the Personal, Social and Learning to Learn European key competence. The 2018 European Recommendation describes it as being resilient, reflecting upon oneself, working with others, and managing time, information,…

New Zealand schools are increasingly digitally infused with computer applications and tools underpinning education and influencing teachers' work. Teachers entering the profession need to develop professional digital competence and while existing frameworks can guide initial teacher education (ITE), they might not be appropriate because student…

In this paper, we aim to advance the understanding of the institutional mechanisms that have shaped the teacher education environment in England over the last forty years. Based on the analyses of policy documents and elite interviews rooted in a neo-institutionalist analytical framework, we argue that the changes from a laissez-faire policy in…

In the past decade, notions of teacher professionalism have been associated with increased accountability, standards, performance assessments, and teacher testing, and impacted by alternative pathways into the profession that downplays professional education and foreground subject content knowledge expertise and opportunity to learn on the job.…

It is timely to pause as we reach the centenary of the creation of the contested border which divides Ireland and the advent of Brexit to examine teacher education across the island, revealing intersecting contrasts and similarities which reflect both common origins and increasing divergences. The relatively high esteem of both scholarship and of…

Digitalisation provides valuable opportunities for learning; however, it imposes demands on teachers. Teachers are expected not only to be profound users of educational technologies but also to engage in the design of digital environments such as online courses, learning management systems, and mobile applications. This article argues that…

The three main themes of this Special Issue of "European Journal of Teacher Education" are brought together and considered in the light of what has been said in the articles included. These themes of teacher education, professionalism and research are all dynamic in the way they have been developing over time and also demonstrate…

National and international education policies acknowledge the importance of the quality of teachers. Research literature emphasises the teacher profession as an dynamic and extended profession, driven by a moral perspective and a collaborative identity across the profession. In this paper the question is raised to what extent this understanding is…

Teacher quality, or 'the good teacher' is not clearly defined in Norway, nor are there specific standards for measuring teacher quality. Everybody has an opinion about the good teacher, and teacher quality is frequently debated. Moreover, in Norway there is no systematic evaluation of teachers. Nevertheless, numerous reforms and popular discourses…

This paper compares conceptions of teacher quality in two education systems -- Singapore and Hong Kong -- that consistently perform well in international assessments of student achievement. Both systems constantly refresh their expectations of teacher competencies, with recent iterations, which offer a just-in-time opportunity to learn from how…