ABSTRACT
International programmes increasingly involve student teachers who spend periods of time abroad. Consequently, teacher educators face new challenges. Teacher educators have to set up new procedures to supervise student teachers’ activities from a distance; manage heterogeneous groups of student teachers, some of whom have had international experiences; modify their mentoring styles; and foster their own professional development. The purpose of this study was two-fold: to understand how to help teacher educators effectively change their tutoring styles and to support their professional development through relationships with student teachers who have had international experiences. The Department of Education at the University of Genova (Italy) designed a qualitative study, which included administering a semi-structured interview, intended to analyse the ideas and attitudes of teacher educators who had to supervise student teachers during and after international experiences. Fifteen teacher educators were involved in the study. The findings suggest that student teachers’ international experiences affect teacher educators’ mentoring practices, their tasks and their relationship with student teachers. Student teachers’ international experiences also represent a source of professional development for teacher educators, who become global teacher educators.
