The education and training of future teachers is one of the pressing social challenges for many nations, in Europe and the world. The teaching profession represents a societal vanguard, drawing on digital knowledge and bearing the responsibility for a real ecological transition. With about 20,000 students within EUniWell aspiring to the teaching profession, we will position EUniWell as a worldwide leader in teacher education to meet the need for excellent training in an unprecedentedly complex, digitised, diverse, mobile, multicultural, and multilingual Europe.

Teacher Education Arena

Within EUniWell, the Teacher Education Arena is working with the aim of shaping and supporting the education and training of future European teachers. The main focus of this arena is to promote European student teachers and teacher identity by defining a common standard framework as the baseline for individual learning outcomes for European teacher education, leading to a transversal curriculum and the introduction of an international certificate.

The group is currently working on analysing the “basic” professional standards recognised by the partner countries and adding new standards according to key values of EUniWell, such as sustainability, well-being, inclusion and healthcare. 

Schools are of course recognised as fundamental stakeholders in the development of teacher training courses. They can support some of the concrete actions of the project, for example, promoting the international mobility of pre-service teachers within the European University Network through the piloting and subsequent implementation of internships in European schools within the European University Network. Internships can help to better connect theory and practice with regard to real world challenges in schools and society and to develop a common vision for a more hybrid teacher education where teaching and learning merge.

Opportunities for future teachers

The Teacher Education Arena was conceived as a place to promote cooperation between schools, local communities and universities. The objectives of this network are: 

• To design and develop an integrated professional training system for future teachers that also includes mobility to promote a fully European perspective.
• To draw attention to some of the key concepts of EUniWell such as well-being, sustainability, inclusion and governance in the school system.
• To promote innovation in the various European education systems, starting from the connection between theory and practice, to respond to real-world challenges across schools and society.

To build on this network the Teacher Education Arena is offering three distinct courses for future teachers.

University of Cologne from 13 to 17 March 2023

“International & inclusive teacher education with a focus on STEM-education: from the Maritime Rhine Station and Science Lab to local Cologne schools”

The international students, who visit us at the University of Cologne, will be invited to the Ecologic Rhine Station. This extracurricular place of learning moors in a crucial position. Scientists monitor the invasion of neozootical organisms into the Rhine as well as the influence of climate change, pollution and microplastics. To make the work of the scientists tangible, a large Science Lab for inclusive school classes and teacher training is installed in the Ship’s Main Deck.

EUniWell students will work on assigned tasks in the Science Lab, communicate their findings, and jointly develop responsible strategies for their future leadership in science and teaching. During their stay in Cologne, the students will also be visiting a regional school.

Find out more in our video (German with English subtitles): https://youtu.be/f2YH62RcSqs

University of Florence from 17 to 21 April 2023

“Education toward a sustainable future”

Today's professionals need the ability to imagine novel solutions to tackle wicked problems that a rapidly changing world presents us with and that cannot be addressed with the solutions of the past. During this workshop week, basic skills needed to learn how to work while imagining possible futures will be developed through both indoor and outdoor activities. Reflection and self-assessment skills will be developed across the board.

Learning outcomes:

• Ability to imagine a range of different future scenarios and consider whether they are are sustainable
• Ability to understand how the world might change as we project into the future and how these changes can be considered from an educational and other perspectives
• Ability to think creatively about possibilities for the future and challenge propositions critically

Application deadline: 20 March 2023

University of Murcia from 22 to 26 May 2023

“Know yourself, know your future”

Teachers must be able to integrate the labour market into the classroom and, accordingly, must be able to guide students towards a more meaningful learning experience, to identify their skills and to engage them in lifelong learning. This programme will analyse content on the labour market that can be integrated into the classroom and how it can be worked with in order to promote skills that meet real needs.

Learning outcomes:

• Identify real-world issues to be integrated in the classroom.
• Design methodologies to cope with real-world professional challenges
• Promote self-learning strategies for a professional career

Application deadline: 22 April 2023