Introduction

This book investigates the interplay between the grounded experiences of newly qualifi ed teachers in three different locations and arguments related to globalisation. It explores and problematises overly deterministic themes within the literature on globalisation as applied to the teaching profession in which a convergence and homogenisation of the profession is implied (e.g., Ritzer 1993; Chappell 1998; Ball 1999). The emergence of this literature coincides with a European Agenda (European Commission 2005) for teacher mobility across all European countries. This one-size-fi ts-all agenda is problematic for the teaching profession. Differences in the constellations, confi gurations of infl uence, and patterns of relationships are suffi cient to ensure that, as an experience, learning to become a teacher can differ considerably for different individuals even within broadly similar contexts and settings. The diversity of routes into teaching increases as teacher education institutions in many countries experience increasing levels of accountability for their students. There is an irony here in that many of these same national governments simultaneously set up and encourage alternative ‘fast-track’ pathways into teaching (Townsend and Bates 2007).