Peer Learning Cluster or other group
Teachers and Trainers
Background
The Danish Ministry of Education hosted the PLA in Copenhagen from 7 to 11 October 2007, with local organisation being in the hands of the respective University Colleges CVU-Vest and CVU-Syd. The nearby University of Malmö hosted discussions on 10 October.
A background document was circulated before the event which provided the theoretical framework for discussions. The Commission Communication on 'Improving the Quality of Teacher Education' was also referred to.
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Description
The PLA focused on policy examples provided by Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands.
The main inputs in the programme were as follows:
a) Denmark:
- An overview of the challenges posed by the theme, by Asst. Professor Hans Dorf;
- A presentation of one example of the Danish model of collaboration, based upon written partnership agreements between TEIs and schools;
- A visit to a school and a TEI that take part in such an agreement and discussion with the school leaders, teacher educators and trainee teachers involved.
b) Sweden:
- A presentation of the Swedish model of collaboration, in which responsibility for Teacher Education is devolved to local level and in which municipalities play a key role;
- A presentation of examples of two specific collaboration projects.
c) Germany:
- A presentation of the current administrative and legislative framework for Teacher Education in Germany, in which responsibility for Teacher Education in each Land is shared amongst a variety of organisations.
d) The Netherlands:
- A presentation of the Dutch model of partnership: the schools formulate their demands and needs, and purchase support from a variety of institutions (for curriculum development, in-service training and teacher education). TEIs have been stimulated to increase their responsiveness to school needs by, amongst other things, stimulating regional partnerships between schools and TEIs.
These inputs provided a stimulus for discussions that focused on the aims, benefits, and possible forms of partnerships between schools and teacher education institutions, and the conditions for their success.
Conclusions
The partnership examples helped the participants to identify a number of crucial conditions to be met for successful achievements.
Those resided on the following items:
- Quality in structures
- Quality in process and relations
- Quality in results
The issue of policy support for partnerships was seen as a complementary condition. Relating to this, the below points were stressed:
- Different policy approaches can be used, depending on national contexts and policy traditions;
- Consideration should be given to the locus of partnership policy within government structures; it may need to be a concern of different departments;
- Policy activities should support and stimulate ‘trust generating events’, both within the partnership and between partnerships and other levels in the educational structure;
- Policy activities should support the dissemination of the outcomes of partnerships, both with respect to the partnerships in themselves and their outcomes;
- Financial support should always take into account the need for the long term sustainability of the partnership.
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