ABSTRACT
The role of the professional educator is undergoing fundamental change. Across Europe, national commitments to the development of internationalisation require a corresponding investment in the professional learning of students of initial teacher education (ITE). As Persson (2004) identifies, at a European level, the impact of internationalisation is a significant influence, manifest in a strong obligation to identify vital competences for the future teachers of Europe. The scaling up of associated policy expectations for teachers and teacher education across Europe has been evident, certainly in the years following the Bologna declaration of 1999. Yet, whilst there has been much encouragement of reciprocal international partnerships between European countries and their schools, colleges and universities, in the field of teacher education there has been limited systematic examination of students’ experiences. It is in the interests of extending research knowledge and informing future development that this chapter makes its contribution.
