Mobility and the European dimension in teacher education

Abstract

International cooperation in higher education has a long tradition; since the 1990s, it has been in
\nconstant increasing. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the European higher education systems have
\nbeen challenged from two sides: by European “coming together” as well as by broader international
\ncooperation and globalisation. In this respect, teacher education as a specific subject area within
\nhigher education often encounters problems. In a comparative perspective, mobility of students and
\nstaff is weaker in teacher education that in other subject areas. This is mainly a negative heritage of
\nthe traditional position of teacher education in most of European countries: it was treated as a
\npredominantly national concern; it was predominantly focused to national systems of education only; it
\nwas a “non-university” subject area and international academic cooperation in teacher education was
\nnot encouraged.
\nTherefore, the on-going process of “Europeanisation” is a real challenge to European systems of
\nteacher education today as well as an important issue with regards to their future. Encouraging and
\nincreasing mobility in teacher education seems to be both – a problem and a solution.