Primary teacher training in Europe under investigation
Published:
A new study by the European Parliament on primary teacher training in Europe is now available on-line. The study assesses the state of initial teacher training, early career support and continuous professional development in Europe from the perspective of teachers and teacher educations in primary schools in Europe. The European Parliament's investigation takes into account the results of the ETUCE Mini-survey on the impact of the economic crisis on teacher education in the European Union (2012) and the EI/ETUCE Study on stress: the causes of stress for teachers, its effects, and suggested approaches to reduce it (2001).
In line with the claims of ETUCE's member organisations who responded to the survey (2012), the study underlines that the economic downturn has forced member states to reduce investments in education. It recognises that under-financing in education hinders the quality of education. In addition, the study highlights that many of the difficulties that teachers encounter are related to school organisation. As reported by the EI/ETUCE study on stress (2001), aspects of the school environment such as working conditions and rising workload for teachers influence teachers' effectiveness. The study eventually recognises that the stress experienced by teachers is not due to personal problems but rather to the organisation of their teaching activity and of the school system.
The study concludes with policy recommendations on how to further improve teaching quality through teacher education and continuous professional development.
Read the full study 'Teaching teachers: state and outlook of primary teacher training in Europe', EP, 2014.