Teacher Education in Croatia and Other European Countries

1
Teacher Education in Croatia and Other European
Countries

• Vlatka Domovic
• Teacher Training College, Zagreb
• e-mail vlatka.domovic_at_ufzg.hr

2
Universally accepted presumptions

• The quality of human and social capital as a
  result of education is the main determinant of
  economic competitiveness and social cohesion in
  certain societies.
• Teachers are one of the key factors of effective
  teaching and learning at schools, which is a
  fundamental task of every educational system.
• Education of teachers is the key determinant of
  the quality of teachers in every educational
  system.

3
Teacher education system comprises

• Pre-service teacher education
• University student education
• Studying while working
• Continual professional development of teachers
  (professional training)

4
Dimensions (continuum) of deliberations on the
diversity of educational system

• Pragmatical idealistic
• Individualistic social cohesion

5
Common European principles for the development of
strategic policies for teacher education

• University degree
• Profession placed in the context of the life-long
  learning
• Mobile profession
• Profession based on partnership

6
Key competencies of teachers

• Working with information, technology and
  knowledge
• Working with people
• Working within and with the society

7
Teacher education system and policy

• Intersectoral function at education ministries
• Strategy of developing the system of teacher
  education
• National agencies for teacher education
• (De)centralization level
• Control and quality assurance system
• Teacher promotion system

8
Trends in the development of pre-service teacher
education

• General framework
• Prolonging and insisting on quality
• Higher education
• Overcoming duality in educating 1st to 4th grade
  teachers and subject-specialized teachers
• Attracting highly capable individuals
• Alternative ways of teacher education

9
Curricula and contents

• Parallel (simultaneous) and successive
  (consecutive) models
• Autonomy of institutions of higher education in
  developing curricula
• Partnership with laboratory schools
• Competencies of university teachers
• University teaching methods
• Specialist and doctoral studies in the field of
  education
• Link between the initial education and
  introduction into the profession

10
Continual professional development trends and
problems

• Professional training (in service t.t.)/
  continual professional development (teacher
  professional development)
• Model - centralized/based on school needs
• Curricula implementation staff
• Accreditation of institutions and curricula
• Teacher advancement and permanent professional
  development

11
Curricula and contents

• Curricula quality, duration
• Supervision (follow up) and support
• Analysis of needs
• University modules ECTS points

12
Teacher education system in Croatia

• Vision Republic of Croatias Educational System
  Development Plan 2005 2010
• Current situation
• Pre-service teacher education
• Continual professional development of teachers
• Possible development (recommendations)

13
Croatias Educational System Development Plan
2005 2010

• Necessity of creating and financing an integral
  national strategy for educating the teaching
  staff
• Modernization of curricula in pre-service
  teacher education and harmonization with the
  European standards (the Bologna Process)
• Professional training as the right, obligation,
  and responsibility

14
Pre-service teacher education in the Republic of
Croatia

• Equalized duration and status of institutions for
  educating class and subject-specialized teachers
  (the Bologna Process)
• All teachers acquire masters degree
• Initiating doctoral studies
• Development of research in the sphere of teacher
  education

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Problems/challenges related to initial teacher
education in the RC

• National standards for the key teacher
  competencies
• Strengthening the status of institutions for
  initial teacher education
• Modernization of teaching methods
• School practice laboratory schools
• Education of vocational teachers
• The role of universities in the introduction into
  the profession
• Quality assurance system in initial education

16
Continual professional development (professional
training) of teachers in Croatia

• Institutions Agency for education and Agency
  for vocational education, university
  institutions, non-governmental organizations,....
• Programs intended for various target groups
  (teachers, professional assistants, trainees,
  principals)
• Catalogues of professional gatherings

17
Problems/challenges related to professional
training of teachers in RC

• Creating an integral professional training
  strategy
• Including all teachers into professional training
  
• Coordination of national priorities and training
  based on teachers / school needs
• Quality control and assurance
• Teacher advancement system