Conference Agenda

Different non-formal educational institutions in Germany provide afternoon activities, school holiday programs or extracurricular activities in schools that revolve around the usage of digital technologies such as 3D-printing, basic coding with microcomputers, gaming or photography/image editing. “DILABoration”, a joint German research project, aims at identifying conditions under which such non-formal educational arrangements create opportunities for participation and education specifically for marginalised youth. Drawing on the approach as well as the data from “DILABoration”, this dissertation project focuses on the question how processes of subject positioning and subjectivation unfold via addressing practices within these educational arrangements and in relation to digitality.

Following the increase of digital media use in recent years, new specific forms of culture, interaction and expression have emerged, pointing to a “culture of digitality” (Stalder 2016, 12-13). Digital technologies have become relevant for processes of subjectivation and orientation (Jörissen / Marotzki 2009). However, specific forms of subjectivity are considered legitimate or illegitimate within a discourse on digitality (Allert et al. 2017, 223, 13). In accordance with this, research has pointed to the social reproduction of inequalities via digital media access (first-level digital inequality) and digital media use (second level digital inequality; Hargittai 2002), based on existing levels of social and cultural and economic capital (Rudolph 2019; Iske / Kutscher 2020).

Therefore, marginalized youth require opportunities to appropriate practices of digital media use in ways that are valuable within their everyday lives. Non-formal educational arrangements may be specifically valuable in creating these opportunities (Fujii et al. 2021). Here, non-formal educational arrangements are understood as organisationally framed educational contexts outside of formal education, characterised by voluntary participation, lower levels of standardisation and lack of relevance to formal educational certification (Rohlfs 2012, 37).

Within formal educational contexts, conservative structures of educational practices have been shown to persist despite the inclusion of technological innovations (Thiersch / Wolf 2021). This emphasises the question, whether contingencies related to the involvement of digital technologies in educational practices unfold more easily or differently in less standardised, non-formal contexts. Moreover, marginalised youth may be enabled to appropriate digital media practices in ways that relate to their everyday lives within these contexts, if respective supportive structures are provided (Fujii et al., 2021). At the same time, normative ideas of ‘legitimate’ and ‘illegitimate’ media use are inscribed all social interactions in a digitalised society and are reproduced in non-formal educational contexts as well. This may further increase marginalisation if not reflected upon appropriately (ibid. 43; Dawson 2014).

The integration of digitization in classrooms is reshaping teaching and learning methods, presenting new opportunities and challenges. Digital technologies offer the potential to expand the classroom's boundaries and connect it with the outside world (Gerholz, Ciolek & Wagner 2020). However, alongside these benefits, challenges arise, such as the increased and simultaneous use of media by contemporary students, leading to reduced attention and performance (Qian & Li 2017; Bolkan & Griffin 2017). The accessibility of digital tools like smartphones and tablets tempts students to engage in non-class-related activities during lessons (Kay, Benzimra & Li 2017). A study found that Generation Z students spend 19.4% of their school day on off-task mobile use, disrupting learning (McCoy, 2020). Teachers often resort to measures like deactivating Wi-Fi, blocking websites, or using monitoring apps, but these can hinder participation and motivation. Such tactics also limit the potential of digital educational technologies, making them counterproductive. Cell phone bans and digital monitoring are not effective. Instead, efforts should focus on enhancing active participation and learning engagement to prevent off-task behaviour (Flanigan et al., 2023). Previous studies have investigated off-task behaviour of learners in various educational contexts to identify factors that contribute to digital distraction. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to encapsulate the diverse findings in this domain, culminating in the formulation of a cohesive model. The identified factors coalesce into three principal categories, each delineating distinct perspectives on the observed phenomenon. Primarily, the model underscores the significance of teaching quality dimensions, including the establishment of a conducive classroom climate and proficient classroom management. Empirical evidence attests that considerations of these quality dimensions yield enhanced learning outcomes on multiple instances (Praetorius et al. 2020; Kounin 1970; Qian & Li 2017; Kay, Benzimra & Li 2017). The maximization of effective learning time is intricately linked to the mitigation of unproductive learning time, typified by the aforementioned off-task behaviors (Fried 2008). To investigate off-task behaviour, it is also useful to consider the learner's perspective. The teacher should take into account individual learning prerequisites when designing lessons, along with planning methods and social forms. These prerequisites comprise of students' self-efficacy, motivation, and emotional states during learning (Pekrun 2006). Such factors emerge as predictive indicators for less off-task behaviour (Flanigan et al. 2023). In addition, the instructional design of the classroom can extend the amount of time spent on the task. Collaborative and interactive work phases can foster active engagement with the learning content (Kay, Benzimra & Li 2017). Furthermore, the quality of the integration of digital technologies is of great importance in achieving meaningful utilization. If digital technologies are used only as a replacement for traditional media, there is often no identifiable added value. However, increased integration has shown positive outcomes in terms of technology acceptance and motivation to learn (Gerholz, Ciolek & Wagner 2020. Therefore, it can be argued that purposeful use of technology in the classroom can lead to fewer off-task activities (Kay & Lauricella 2011). Preventing off-task behaviour in a sustainable manner requires successful consideration of instructional design features, students' learning prerequisites, and teaching quality dimensions. It is important to note that these three lenses, which combine the different causes of off-task behaviour, should not be considered separately, as they are characterized by overlaps and interactions.

The key research questions for exploring digital off-task behaviours of students during class in several subjects are therefore as follows:

1. which factors lead to digital off-task behaviour of students in lessons at vocational schools with digital educational technologies?

2. which instructional design patterns can prevent off-task behaviour of students in lessons at vocational schools with digital educational technologies?

In 2017, the Norwegian teacher education program for primary and lower secondary teachers underwent a transformation, transitioning from a four-year program to a master's degree program. By the spring of 2022, the inaugural cohort of primary and lower secondary teachers graduated, equipped with newly earned master's degrees in teaching.

Norway's official framework for primary and lower secondary teacher education, as outlined by the Ministry of Education and Research (2016a and 2016b), explicitly emphasizes the necessity for teacher education programs to exhibit both high academic quality and coherence. This coherence, although not exclusively, extends to the integration of learning activities conducted on campus and practical experiences, with the latter also referring to organized practicums for teacher education students. However, it is acknowledged that practical experience encompasses various activities beyond structured practicums.

According to the official framework, a teacher education student is required to undergo no less than 110 days of practicum, distributed over the five years of their academic studies. Furthermore, the framework underscores the importance of establishing a close relationship between academic institutions and the professional field represented by practicum schools.

Despite the explicit description of the relationship between theory represented by the teacher education institutions and practice, here represented by the practicum schools, in the official framework, there remains a perceived gap or lack of coherence. Munthe et al., (2020) characterize the nexus between theory and practice in teacher education as a context where diverse arenas converge to support the comprehensive knowledge and competence development of teacher students. The lack of such cohesion is not a novel issue within teacher education, evident in both Norwegian and international contexts (ibid). The perceived situation becomes explicit in for example Canrinus et al., (2017) where teacher students report on a gap between theory and practice, and in Thorsen (2019) where it is highlighted a lack of consensus between school-based and university-based educators when they collaborate during teacher students' practicum.

During practicums, school-based and university-based teacher educators often collaborate in supporting, mentoring, and evaluating teacher students, forming a formalized partnership. In this partnership, both parties contribute their expertise to facilitate the learning of teacher education students, creating a synergy that enhances the learning environment beyond individual capabilities (Lillejord & Børte, 2014). However, there is a potential risk that a lack of coherence in this partnership may widen the gap between the university and schools rather than narrowing it. Considering the perception of the gap between theory and practice as well as the evolving specialized direction of teacher education, there is a keen interest in examining how school-based and university-based teacher educators perceive the competencies essential for future teachers. Our research question is “How do school-based and university-based teacher educators perceive the competencies future teachers require, and are there any discernible tensions in these perceptions?” And we are curious whether this is a place where they agree or disagree with one another, and if so on what.

As mentioned earlier, we want to know how different groups see the skills needed for future teachers. We expect to find tensions, but we do not necessarily know much about what these tensions consist of. A deeper understanding of the present situation will help us focus on improving cooperation between the different parties in this partnership. The goal is to contribute to bridging the gap between theory and practice in teacher education. As we see it, a way to get there is to strengthen the relationship between academic institutions and the professional field represented by practicum schools.

Introduction, Research Objective, and Context:

Handling differences in the classroom is complex for teachers. Both internationally and specifically in the Dutch context, the emphasis on adapting to differences among students in education is strongly emphasized, by both the Ministry of Education (Van Casteren et al., 2017) and the annual reports of the Education Inspectorate. This research aims to gain a better understanding of how teachers use various sources of information about the student and their development and whether teachers actively involve their students in dealing with differences in the classroom. By gaining a better understanding of the teacher's pedagogical reasoning, this can contribute to teacher education regarding handling differences in the classroom.

Theoretical Framework:

How teachers respond to diversity by deciding about the education of their students has been described by Richard Snow (1997) as an ‘awesome balancing act’ in which teachers continuously need to make decisions about when and how (or not) to adapt to the characteristics and needs of their students (Parsons et. al, 2018). Responding to what a student needs requires knowledge and skills to do this properly (Corno, 2008; Keuning et al., 2021). This is a complex process and there is little research available that specifically draws attention to what practicing teachers actually do to address student differences (Corno, 2008; Loibl et al., 2020) and on the basis of which information they make decisions for their educational actions (Gasse & Acker, 2023; Park & Datnow, 2017). The internal cognitive process of adaptive teaching and differentiated instruction can be perceived as a process of pedagogical reasoning. Loughran (2019) describes pedagogical reasoning as 'the thinking that underpins informed professional practice'. Based on information sources, teachers make decisions to differentiate. Differentiated education implies a proactive alignment of instruction and activities (Denessen, 2017). Additionally, teachers use adaptive education based on diagnostics of affective, cognitive, motivational, and socio-cultural variables of students. It is therefore essential for teachers to carefully collect and analyze the knowledge they acquire about students. Adaptive education can be shaped from different perspectives, one being curriculum-focused and contextual, requiring teachers to have diagnostic skills (Van Geel et al., 2019) and an understanding of the student as an individual to establish effective alignment between the student and the curriculum. Another perspective is student-focused, exploring the extent to which the student is a co-owner of the learning process.

Research Questions:

• What information sources do teachers use to reason about differentiation decisions?

• How do teachers reason with their knowledge of students to adapt their teaching to their students?

Peer observation is observing fellow teachers’ lessons or being observed by them with the purpose of professional growth. It is believed to be an effective tool for both training future teachers (Engin & Priest, 2014) and supporting experienced teachers’ professional development (O’Leary, 2014; Wragg, 2002). If used effectively, peer observation can become “a valuable tool for improving the quality of teaching” (Wragg, 2002, p. VIII).

Nevertheless, despite its positive impact on teacher professional development, peer observation might still cause negative attitudes and resistance among teachers due to several reasons such as negative feedback that teachers might receive after being observed (Dos Santos, 2016) or poor organization of this process at school (Engin & Priest, 2014; Gosling, 2002). Engin and Priest (2014) state that “teachers who have experienced such contexts may not see the learning value of peer observation” (p. 2). Although peer observation is an important part of teaching practice in many schools around the world including Kazakhstan, it is often imposed on teachers (Gosling, 2002), which is another reason why they do not view it as a tool for professional growth. Therefore, studying teachers’ perceptions of this process and their experiences in peer observation can help better organize this process at schools and make it a valuable tool for continuous development.

This study aims to investigate school teachers' perceptions regarding peer observation and their experiences of peer observation at one school in South Kazakhstan. To achieve this purpose, the study analyses teachers' viewpoints on peer observation, both from the perspective of observing their colleagues and being observed themselves. Furthermore, it delves into an examination of their experiences and practices in the context of peer observation, as well as the impact of these experiences on their professional development.

The following research questions were identified to guide this study:

1. What are the schoolteachers’ perceptions of peer observation?

2. What are their experiences in peer observation?

3. How does peer observation affect teachers’ professional development?

Teacher professional development should happen in collaboration with others and be ongoing (Darling-Hammond & Richardson, 2009; Garet et al., 2006). Bandura’s social learning theory and the professional learning community offered by Darling-Hammond and Richardson (2009) as a new paradigm might help to explain this need for collaboration and the importance of consistent teacher learning. These theories also support the importance of peer observation for teacher professional development.

This study is part of a PhD program on teachers’ professional role on curriculum change, in Portugal, since the Law-Decree n.º55/2018 (Ministério da Educação, 2018), and the implemented new goals for education, following the OECD (2019), UNESCO (2021), and European Union guidelines for the XXI century education. This research is an epistemological approach, focused on the development of a new agenda for education.

Today’s education goals are scored through key-competences, that students must learn until de end of compulsory school age (Ministério da Educação, 2017), measured by international systems for assessment: as PISA and TIMSS (Schleicher, 2018; Robertson, 2022; Teodoro, 2022), and other evidence-based assessment strategies (Biesta, 2017).

Teachers are called to be agents of these change (OECD, 2019), but at same time, they also must follow prescriptive methods to teach (Priestley et al. 2015). They also must have competences to deliver this new educational paradigm, acting as instructors on a learning competence, where what counts is social-economic and technological future for the XXI century (Biesta, 2022; Robertson, 2022).

Biesta (2017; 2022) and Giroux (2022) argue that the perception of teacher as instructors, following orders, doesn’t leave space for critical action. Education assumes a submiss role, working to satisfy society needs, and the will of consumerism: with students as consumers of the product of a fast-food education that, according with Biesta (2022), is based on a “learnification”, in which teachers don’t do what education should do: bring new knowledge to students.

As Biesta & Säfström (2023) and Giroux (2022) write, this concept of education goes against what is democratic public systems, subverting what Dewey (2018) said it should be the relationship between education and society: a bilateral relationship, instead of what it is now. Unilateral, with education taking orders from society, assuming students as objects (of assessment) instead of subjects, that have to learn to be in the world (Biesta, 2022).

OECD (2005) understands teachers as an important agent to fulfill the anticipator project for the future of education. Bandura´s (1997) definition for agency is an act of someone that produces an effect in society. Priestley et al. (2015) developed the Ecological Model for Teacher Agency in which they state that there are three dimensions interrelated dimensions in teacher agency: the present conditions and the past experiences influence teachers’ perceptions for their action and what they see education in the future.

Teachers are important actors in education, as Freire’s (1997) argues. They must have the autonomy to decide what’s best for their student’s knowledge growth, they must flourish their student critical consciousness (Freire, 2021).

The purpose of this study is to contribute for the development of the public democratic education, grounded on social justice values, where students are allowed to develop their comprehension of the world and themselves. Where school act on behalf of the purpose for what is grounded as a public institution, and teachers have an important role.

This study is focused on a critical analysis of the Portuguese curricular documents from the period of 2017 to 2023, analysis of the epistemological principles subjacent of this curricular change (Ministério da Educação, 2017; 2018a; 2018b), what do they understand as the student’s profile to be developed by teachers, to respond to this new professionals demands (Giroux, 2004), it´s relation with the Essential Learnings (Ministério da Educação, 2017), what should be the teachers profile for the school and students education success.

The position and role of middle leaders (MLs) in educational institutions has attracted attention from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners worldwide, as they have been proven to have the potential to make strategic contributions to institutions (Bryant, 2019). Considering that MLs occupy critical positions providing important linkages upwards, across and downwards (Grootenboer, 2018), capacity building and professional development for MLs (PD for MLs) has become an emerging research direction. Existing research shows that PD opportunities and the effective experience of MLs in practice are limited (Bassett, 2016; Bassett & Shaw, 2018). Previous research highlighted that PD for MLs prioritises practical on-the-job experience over formal leadership training (Lillejord & Børte, 2019; Lipscombe et al., 2021). Bryant (2019) also confirmed that MLs build capacity by developing professional networks and establishing partnerships with NGOs, consultants, and other universities. In other words, collaboration and interaction are effective ways to realise PD for MLs.

The concept of professional learning communities (PLCs) comes from learning organisation (Senge, 1990) and community of practice theories (Wenger, 1998). As defined by Stoll et al. (2006), PLCs are the manner in which a group of people conduct an ongoing, reflective, collaborative, inclusive, learning-oriented, growth-promoting event to share and critically interrogate their practice. Although empirical evidence from different contexts has different manifestations and interpretations of PLCs, a consensus has been reached in the academic research field around the five characteristics of PLCs, involving shared values and vision; collaborative activities; reflective professional inquiry and dialogue; collective responsibility for student learning; de-privatised practice (Stoll et al., 2006; Vescio et al., 2008). The aforementioned characteristics have been widely recognised and used in different educational contexts. However, it should be noted that such existing studies focus on the role of PLCs in teacher professional development, while research that connects PLCs with the professional development for institutional members other than teachers, such as MLs, is limited.

In China, research that connects PLCs and PD for MLs is limited. In the few existing studies, MLs along with principals have been discussed in depth as vital factors affecting the PLCs and teacher professional development (Tang et al., 2023; Zhang et al., 2022; Bryant et al., 2020). Indeed, informal learning and PLCs have great potential in realising PD for MLs (Lillejord and Børte, 2019; Lipscombe et al., 2021). In this context, this study attempts to investigate PLCs’ practices in PD for MLs based on the Chinese context, which can enrich international educators’ understanding of the match or fit between the development of PLCs and their social culture (Stoll et al., 2006).

The constructivist grounded theory (CGT) study upon which this paper draws explores the career aspirations of senior (aged 10-13) primary school pupils from different social class backgrounds, including in relation to teaching as a career, in two school environments, one a designated disadvantaged school (hereafter, Chester school) and one non-disadvantaged school (hereafter, Duke school) in the west of Ireland. Our focus is an exploration and comparison of Irish pupils’ perspectives about their futures, with particular reference to their views about progressing to higher education (HE), considering various careers, including teaching, and their views about diversity, or the lack thereof, amongst the teaching profession. An underlying objective is to ascertain the role of social class, and any other relevant socio-demographic factors, in influencing their aspirations.

Research in the UK points to the over-representation of higher social classes in more ‘prestigious’ professions, including law, medicine, and veterinary studies (Macmillan, Tyler and Vignoles 2015), even when controlling for university qualifications (cf. Freidman and Laurison 2019). Research in Canada (Andres and Adamuti-Trache 2008) and the USA (Fang and Tilsik 2022) demonstrate strong links between social class background and degrees of occupational prestige. In Ireland, class (and other) disparities in relation to HE access, and, to an extent, different professions, are tracked by the Higher Education Authority (HEA). Despite the work related to National Access Plans (cf. HEA 2015) and institutions’ widening participation activities, those from lower socio-economic groups remain under-represented in HE (HEA 2022) and in teaching (Keane and Heinz 2015; Heinz and Keane 2018). The rationale for diversifying the teaching profession has been premised on two grounds, a) an equity of access perspective, in that opportunities are provided to those who wish to become teachers but who may otherwise encounter barriers, and b) the significant benefits that accrue to both minority and majority groups of having a more diverse teaching population (cf. Childs et al. 2011; Goodwin and Keane 2023).

What is missing from the literature is the voices of children about future aspirations, particularly it is in childhood and adolescence that occupational aspirations develop (Helwig 2001, 2021; Schultheiss 2005). We know relatively little about children’s reasons for considering (or not) various careers, specifically teaching, or how such reasons compare for those from different social class backgrounds. Of the small amount of research conducted, it has been found that children in less disadvantaged schools are more likely to consider more prestigious professions (Chambers et al. 2018; Connolly and Healy 2004), with those from more disadvantaged backgrounds more likely to identify aspirations for careers such as hairdressing, retail, or nursing (Chambers et al. 2018; Fuller 2009), including in Ireland (cf. Olsthoorn 2019), and to highlight the role of locality in mediating career perspectives, with those from lower socio-economic groups preferring ‘working class’ positions near home (Connolly and Healy 2004). While such research suggests a link between children’s career aspirations and social class, we do not know children’s reasons for considering or not considering certain careers, specifically teaching, or how these reasons compare for those from different class backgrounds. In this context, the study upon which this paper draws, utilising constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2000, 2006, 2014) (CGT), aims to examine and develop a substantive theory about the perspectives and experiences of senior primary school pupils about their future aspirations in terms of progressing to HE and various careers, including teaching.

This empirical research critically examines the instrumental role of direct action within the landscape of education, with a specific emphasis on education coalitions and their corresponding strategies for advocating the right to education. It provides an in-depth analysis of the mechanisms through which education coalitions harness the power of direct action to instigate meaningful reform and foster education systems that embody the principles of inclusivity and equity. The research centers on the Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE), a primary advocate for accessible education in a turbulent landscape. As Pakistan's leading education coalition, PCE collaborates with the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), striving to uphold education as a fundamental human right. Employing Whole Network Analysis, the study offers a comprehensive illustration of the intricate dynamics within education coalitions. The study's focus on PCE underscores its pivotal role at international, national, and local levels, combating neoliberal tendencies towards privatization and championing the cause of free, high-quality public education for all.

Theoretical Framework: The research is guided by a holistic theoretical framework, drawing from seminal works in education advocacy. It incorporates Cortina & Lafuente's (2018) insights on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and their cooperative frameworks, essential for understanding the collaborative dynamics in Pakistan's education coalitions. Verger and Novelli's (2010) exploration of education coalition action repertoires provides a spectrum of strategies crucial for this study, ranging from direct engagements with decision-makers to large-scale public awareness campaigns. Arvidson et al.'s (2018) work on the evolving nature of insider and outsider advocacy strategies, especially in the digital age, informs the study's exploration of modern advocacy tactics, including the role of social media. This framework aims to capture the breadth and depth of activities undertaken by education coalitions in Pakistan, discerning strategies that are most effective in this unique socio-political context.

By integrating insights from these research works with Pakistani realities, the study develops a comprehensive understanding of the role of education coalitions. The overarching aim is to set a solid theoretical foundation for a detailed empirical examination of these coalitions, ensuring relevance and applicability to the Pakistani milieu. The narratives of coalition members, policymakers, and civil society leaders are expected to bring theoretical constructs to life, making this study a reflection of the aspirations and challenges in promoting education rights in Pakistan.

Societal change calls for thorough readjustment of human agency to align with sustainability visions. Individual and collective actions that promote sustainability are required at many levels, including in the private lives of people and in the public sphere. Actions are needed to lower the environmental footprint of individuals and, at the same time, to catalyze a system-level adoption of sustainability. In recent years, young people have been at the forefront of collective sustainability efforts. Since its inception, the Fridays For Future -events have mobilized hundreds of thousands of predominantly young participants worldwide each year (“Strike Statistics”, 2024). In addition to strikes and demonstrations young people express their agency and drive sustainability in diverse ways (Oinonen & Paloniemi, 2023; Trott, 2021; Tayne, 2022).

To engage in action towards sustainability may require a variety of skills, knowledge, and attitudes. Frameworks that capture these sustainability competencies have been under intensive development during the last decade (e.g., Bianchi et al., 2022; UNESCO, 2017). Of particular interest has been action competence for sustainability, which has been defined as the overall will, confidence, and knowhow to bring about sustainability transformations (Sass et al., 2020). Action competence has been understood as an educational approach (Mogensen & Schnack, 2010) as well as an educational outcome, an underlying latent capacity of individuals and groups (Olsson et al., 2020). However, these is a lack of knowledge of how action competence and its subconstructs are related to different kinds of actions and behaviors that promote sustainability. Especially the role of knowledge of action possibilities in determining sustainability efforts is in a need for clarification. As complexity and uncertainty are fundamental parts of sustainability challenges (e.g., Lönngren & van Poeck, 2021), it is hard to know which efforts will produce the desired effects. Instead, actions emerge from a knowledge base that is always incomplete (Almers, 2013). The notion of pluralism in action-oriented knowledge emphasizes that multiple kinds of knowledge and different ways of knowing are involved in actions for sustainability (Caniglia et al., 2021; Wals, 2010). Therefore, reaching an end-goal of enough knowledge is not feasible when tackling wicked sustainability problems. This concerns particularly collective actions that are directed on system-level change, since tracing their legacies is a tedious task even for experts (Amenta et al., 2010).

To investigate the relationship between action competence and sustainability actions, we conducted a national survey of 15 to 29-year-olds (N = 940) in Finland. We asked how action competence for sustainability is related to both private sphere behavior and collective action that drive change. Results of structural equation modeling show that the overall measure of self-perceived action competence for sustainability strongly predicts private sphere behavior, but the association is nonexistent with system-oriented sustainability action. Further analysis on the components of action competence reveals that high perceived knowledge and low outcome expectations predict low engagement in sustainability action. Knowledge and outcome expectations also affect behavior indirectly via willingness to act. Based on our results we argue that actions and behaviors have different antecedents, and that the ability to recognize outcome uncertainty affects how young people’s sustainability agency is manifested.

In the 21st century, it is surprising to witness that alongside climate change and technological advancements, a dearth of empathy and compassion has emerged. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the unrest in Israel, and the inhumane treatment of fellow global inhabitants serve as poignant reminders that the fundamental question of our humanity, "What constitutes the essence of being human?", remains unanswered.

According to a report published by UNESCO (2023), the discourse on post-COVID education revolves around the incorporation of technologists and artificial intelligence to establish a personalized and inclusive learning environment for all. However, the report highlights that the integration of technology in education is often driven by the profit-oriented agendas of technology companies, rather than being aligned with the specific needs of both students and teachers. In the present era, marked by post-humanist and anthropocentric ideologies, and confronted with pressing challenges like climate change, inequality, and conflict, it becomes essential to redirect our focus towards holistic education. Additionally, it is important to reexamine the very notion of "being human" in this rapidly evolving, technology-driven world.
The United Nations, in their 'Report on the 2022 Transforming Education Summit' (2023), emphasizes the significance of understanding education as a comprehensive learning process. The report asserts that education should empower individuals to acquire lifelong learning skills, navigate the complexities of a dynamic world, foster harmonious coexistence with respect for one another and the environment, and ultimately enable individuals to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives (p. 1).

Over twenty-five years ago, UNESCO-APNIEVE (1998) raised a thought-provoking inquiry about the essence of learning to coexist and thrive together:
"The process of learning to live harmoniously and peacefully together is a dynamic, comprehensive, and lifelong journey through which individuals internalize and put into practice shared values... This process initiates with cultivating inner peace within the hearts and minds of individuals who strive for truth, knowledge, and understanding..." (APNIEVE, 1998, p. 4).
Even after the passage of more than a quarter-century, we continue to reflect upon the fundamental question of what it truly means to "live together" and how we can maintain harmony with our surroundings. This entails being in tune with both living and non-living elements of nature, our fellow human beings, the rapid advancements in technology, and with our own selves, encompassing our bodies, minds, and spirits. Consequently, UNESCO (2015) affirms that:
"While education cannot single-handedly resolve all development challenges, an approach to education rooted in humanism and holistic ideals has the potential to contribute towards realizing a new paradigm of development" (p. 10).

The significance of holistic education and its potential role in addressing worldwide challenges begs the question of its essence and its capacity to offer solutions. Essentially, the paradigm of holistic education is rooted in the notion that fully educating a child necessitates addressing their intellectual, social, emotional, physical, spiritual, and artistic needs in a balanced manner (Bhatta, 2009; Hare, 2010; Preston, 2012; Rudge, 2016; Miller, 2010, 2019; Pong, 2021; Miseliunaite et al., 2022). Considered a transformative educational approach, Hare (2010) asserts that holistic education equips students with lifelong learning skills, emphasizing life skills, attitudes, and personal awareness necessary for navigating an increasingly intricate world (p. 6).
This research posits that holistic education holds the potential to contribute to resolving global problems by cultivating individuals who assume accountability for their actions and evolve into global citizens. Specifically exploring the application of holistic education within Lithuania's primary education system, the study investigates how it prepares younger generations to navigate an uncertain future. Employing a philosophical and pragmatic investigation, the research identifies key characteristics of holistic education within this particular context.

This research brings an overview of the characteristics and impacts of “sustainability on campus” as living laboratories for sustainable development initiatives of Europe, in comparison to other geographical, cultural, social and environmental contexts (continents).

Higher education for sustainable development has been a global trend on recent years. Among the most relevant addressed issues are the challenge to transfer sustainable development approaches to universities (Adomssent et.al., 2007), the integration of sustainability in education through changes in higher education (Barth, 2011), the student´s points of view on higher education as an innovative approach to provoke changes (Barth et. al., 2011) and the analysis of key competencies for sustainable development (Rieckmann, 2012). With regards to campus sustainability in higher education evaluation measures, Townsend and Barrett (2015) in Jain, S., et. al. (2017), states that limited information is available, highlighting the need to develop specific tools or frameworks that may be used for assessing the sustainability initiatives on university campuses.

Starting on a theoretical basis, sustainability science has been defined as a discipline that addresses the understanding of the dynamics of human-environment systems and facilitates the design, implementation, and evaluation of practical interventions (Clark & Dickson (2003) in Zen, I. S. (2017)). On this regard, Zizka, L., et. al. (2021) emphasizes the potential and relevance that academic institutions have to promote change and therefore contribute directly in the implementation of sustainable development priorities. The same author continues to argue that besides the political willing at the international and national levels to address the role of higher education institutions on sustainable development, there is still the need of deepening and expanding studies related to concepts like “green university” or “sustainability on campus”.

Alshuwaikhat and Abubakar (2008) in Martek, I. et. al. (2022), with reference to sustainability initiatives in universities, states that traditional practices and regulations related to environmental issues are mainly implemented in a reactive manner, with a high degree of inefficiency and low guarantee of being sustainable on a long term.

Another topic that has recently emerged is the analysis of operating the university campus as a living laboratory for sustainability problem-solving institution. McMillin and Dyball (2009) in Cohen, B. (2018) refer to the connections that are made visible to students and campus community between theory and practice. Shawe, R., et. al., (2019) have also found evidence in the literature predominantly concentrating on campus actions and changes, without addressing university outreach activities. 


Following these findings, the current research aims to identify what are the common variables that characterizes the current trends of “sustainability on campus” initiatives as a living laboratory for sustainable development. A holistic multiple case study will be conducted on five selected universities. Therefore, the general objective is to identify common variables that characterize current trends in “sustainability on campus” initiatives as “living laboratories” for sustainable development.

Three specific research objectives are formulated as follows: (1) define a theoretical and conceptual framework of the university campus as a living laboratory for sustainable development; (2) identify commonalities and differences among selected variables of current “sustainability on campus” practices on different environmental contexts; and, (3) design a systematic scheme of variables that represents a university campus as a living laboratory for sustainable development.

The research questions related to the data to be collected are: How are the common variables of the “Sustainability on Campus” initiatives functioning as a living laboratory for sustainable development? and, how is the natural environment impacting on the built environment sustainability initiatives of each university campus?

The pressing global challenges necessitate a paradigm shift in how humanity lives, prompting education systems to adapt and incorporate learning objectives aligned with sustainability principles (UNESCO, 2017). Acknowledging this imperative, acquiring new mindsets becomes crucial (Broo, 2022; Lees, 2021; Rimanoczy, 2020). This shift involves a profound transformation of individuals' inner worlds, encompassing radical changes in values, thoughts, and lifestyles (Jančius et al., 2022). Recognizing that primary education shapes the future, integrating sustainability values into curricula becomes essential, influencing children's lifelong perspectives (Chawla, 2007; Lloyd & Gray, 2014).

While it is vital for curricula to reflect global issues, there is a risk of schools merely disseminating information without fostering critical engagement (Bourn et al., 2016). It becomes paramount to guide children in establishing harmonious relationships with the Earth and others, addressing issues like climate change, global poverty, and gender equality (Herbert, 2008). However, research indicates a scarcity of sustainability-related content in primary education, with existing studies indirectly linked to sustainability (Andersen, 2018). Despite holistic aspects of sustainability education in primary schools, the lack of effective didactic approaches hampers influencing students' attitudes and behaviors (Taylor et al., 2019; Nepraš et al., 2022).

Moreover, teachers' discomfort in discussing uncomfortable or controversial topics with primary students adds a layer of complexity (Mundy & Manion, 2008; Oberman et al., 2012; Robinson & Sebba, 2010). This unease is exacerbated by the fact that sustainability competences have traditionally been studied in higher education, leaving a dearth of knowledge about their development in primary education (Brundiers et al., 2020; Redman & Wiek, 2021; Vesterinen & Ratinen, 2023).

To address this gap and uncover the potential of developing a sustainable mindset in primary education, the research question posed is: How are the characteristics of a sustainable mindset reflected in the Lithuanian primary curriculum? The study's aim is to reveal the expression of sustainable mindsets in the primary curriculum.

Research Objectives:

1. Analyze the concept and features of the construct of a sustainable mindset.
2. Justify the methodology for researching the traits of a sustainable mindset in the primary education curriculum.
3. Identify the peculiarities of the development of sustainable mindset traits in the primary education curriculum.

The theoretical conceptual frameworks guiding this study include:

• The concept of sustainable education, emphasizing the acquisition and application of skills, competences, attitudes, and values necessary for sustainable development (Sterling, 2001).
• The concept of a sustainability mindset, emphasizing a way of thinking and living rooted in ecosystem understanding, social sensitivity, and introspective awareness of personal values (Kassel et al., 2018).
• The model of sustainable mindset traits, covering areas such as ecological worldview, ecological mindset, emotional and spiritual intelligence, and fostering development through ecological literacy, personal contribution, long-term thinking, and other elements (Rimanoczy, 2020). This model aims to bridge the historical gap between sustainable thinking, mindset, and being.

This comparative paper examines education policies across Swedish and Australian contexts relating to the world-wide teacher shortage with a focus on students who undertake a teaching role whilst simultaneously completing their university studies. Universities have responded to the teacher shortage by re-organising teaching and learning to accommodate these students working into the teaching profession. These ways of organising teacher education are described as “good examples of ways to combine theory and practice and by these means prepare students well for their work at school and in the classroom” (Swedish Government, 2020). There is an increased emphasis on the significance of work-based learning in enhancing students' preparedness for the workforce (McManus & Rook, 2021; Raelin, 2007). This has prompted a closer examination of the interplay between off-campus and on-campus learning (Caspersen & Smeby, 2021). Essentially, students encounter challenges in translating academic knowledge into practical, didactic knowledge (Nilsson, 2008) and face difficulties in applying their academic learning to solve real-world problems in new contexts (Ramsden, 2003).

Ongoing deliberations in higher education revolve around finding ways to support students in making successful transitions from university to the workforce. This discourse stems from an awareness of the disparities between these two environments, particularly the gap between university studies and the demands of the workplace (Biemans et al., 2004; Finch et al., 2007).

We provide insights from university lecturers about their perception of students´ learning when organising teacher education and educating student teachers in this way to address the teacher shortage. We consider how policy contexts have shaped and reshape practices and ponder the potential impact for the teaching profession. We also consider the resonances, and points of tension, across and within the different national settings, to assist us to understand the teaching and learning practices in universities.

Informed by the insights of Akkerman and Bakker (2011), the theoretical framework of boundary crossing helps conceptualize lecturers’ perceptions and the nature of WIL (Work-Integrated Learning) students' learning in relation to ricocheting between their work life as a teacher and their learning journey as a student. These students continuously cross the role boundaries between teacher and student hence the experiences of their lecturers through the boundary crossing framework is clearly relevant. Viewing boundary crossing through this lens enables a detailed understanding of the specific contextual relationships required, particularly in assessing learning opportunities that necessitate collaboration between different institutions (Akkerman & Bruining, 2016). This perspective holds particular significance in professional education, where apprenticeships are recognised as valuable avenues for facilitating successful transitions between university and workplaces. The perception is that the differences between these educational contexts serve as sources for development (Tuomi-Gröhn & Engeström, 2003). Rather than dismissing boundaries between contexts, they can be leveraged in exercises to help students contextualise their knowledge in alignment with the collaborative demands of their work (Andersson, 2016).

The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of boundary crossing in the teaching and learning environment of initial teacher education providers and to provide insights what this way of organizing teacher education entails. The following research questions have been formulated to achieve these aims:

- What are university lecturers’ perceptions regarding student teachers’ learning who commence teaching prior to completing their university degree?

- What is made possible or hindered through boundary crossing in this way of organizing teacher education (WIL)?

- What are the resonances, and points of tension, across and within different national contexts?

Pre-service early childhood (EC) teachers’ epistemic beliefs in the domain of mathematics (application-related beliefs, process-related beliefs, static orientation), enjoyment of mathematics, mathematics anxiety, mathematical content knowledge (MCK) and mathematics pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK) have been extensively investigated using a variable-centred approach (Björklund et al., 2020). Pre-service EC teachers’ knowledge, emotions, and beliefs are inherent parts of their professional competence and their development (Dunekacke et al., 2022). Understanding pre-service teachers as learners during their teacher education (Jenßen et al., 2021), the relationship between these dispositions can be conceptualized in terms of control-value theory (Pekrun, 2006). This well-established theory describes the relationship between achievement in a specific domain and emotions as a function of learners’ control and value appraisals regarding learning and achievement situations. These appraisals can be seen as self-related cognitive evaluations that mediate between situations or domains and emotions (Pekrun, 2006). For example, control appraisals refer to an individual’s evaluation of whether they can affect a specific situation. This might go hand in hand with the individual’s subjective perception of how static or flexible the domain in which the situation is located is. Conversely, value appraisals represent how valuable or how important the situation or domain is, for example for the individual themself or for others. For example, domains with a huge importance for daily working life are seen as very valuable for individuals. Control and value appraisals determine specific emotional experiences, which in turn affect achievement in specific situations. Pleasant emotions such as enjoyment are positively associated with achievement, for example because they enhance elaborative learning, while unpleasant emotions such as anxiety lower achievement, for example due to reduced self-regulation.

Applying this to the context of pre-service EC teachers’ learning during their teacher education, beliefs can be seen as generalized appraisals regarding a specific domain such as mathematics. Additionally, pre-service teachers’ achievement in a specific domain captures their acquisition of specific knowledge in this domain over the course of teacher education.

There is a growing body of studies investigating the complex relationships between beliefs, emotions, and achievement in greater detail using a person-centred approcah (Rosmann & Mayer, 2018; Muis et al., 2015). These approaches can identify similarities and differences between persons with respect to the levels of variables (quantitative differences) as well as the shape of relations (qualitative differences) (Ferguson et al., 2020; Marsh et al., 2009). This could be useful for both research and practice, for example regarding diagnostic issues (Marsh et al., 2009). Nevertheless, the relationships between pre-service EC teachers’ beliefs, emotions, and achievement have only been investigated separately, and only one study applied a person-centered approach, modelling EC teachers’ MPCK and skills (Im & Choi, 2020). However, from a practical point of view, it seems plausible to assume qualitative differences in this context. For instance, it is feasible that some pre-service EC teachers are more capable of reflecting on their anxiety or differ from others regarding its regulation, with specific effects on the acquisition of knowledge, while some others may not succeed in doing so.

To investigate person-centered differences regarding the complex relationship, we applied assumptions from control-value theory (Pekrun, 2006) to the context of pre-service EC teachers’ mathematics education. We investigated the following research questions:

(1) Are there different profiles of pre-service EC teachers with respect to the relations between math-related beliefs (application-related beliefs, process-related beliefs, static orientation), emotions (enjoyment of mathematics, math anxiety), and knowledge (MCK, MPCK) when these are applied in a path model?

(2) If there are more than two profiles, can they be reasonably interpreted in terms of qualitative differences that justify the added value of person-centered approaches?

Valuing learner diversity, supporting all learners, working with others and personal professional development are the four core values for all teachers and education professionals especially those working in inclusive education (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2012). The European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education (2022) emphasizes the importance of these values and highlights that attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and understanding, as well as skills have to relate to concepts of inclusion (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2022).

Problem-based learning (PBL) appears well-suited for imparting these core values, as PBL has become an essential approach used in teacher education due to its positive impact on knowledge retention and application, attitude change, and diagnostic skill improvement of future teachers (Snyder & McWilliam, 1999; Wedel et al., 2022; Yew & Goh, 2016). PBL, which originated from the medical field, empowers students to take responsibility for their own learning by using realistic cases to develop solutions to patient problems (Barrows, 1996). Through the use of PBL, students can develop their research skills, integrate theory and practice, and apply their knowledge to create practical solutions for defined problems (Savery, 2006). Throughout the independent development of solutions and strategies for real-world problems, students perceive themselves as active learners and take responsibility for their own learning. This approach is especially effective when students are presented with a complex problem scenario to which there is more than one adequate solution (Hmelo-Silver, 2004).

This article focuses on the application of PBL in the field of inclusive and special education and the integration of its essential components into the training of future teachers in Germany. To this end, realistic depictions of children and young adults with learning difficulties, based on the experiences of experts in special and inclusive education, were created to be presented to students who study special and inclusive education.

Three realistic portrayals of children and young adults with learning difficulties were developed and presented as digital cases. Following the model of resilience research, inhibiting factors and difficulties are referred to as risk factors, while supportive aspects, strengths, and resources are assigned to protective, supportive factors (Werner, 2020). As amplified in the Methods section, a number of students will be tasked with identifying protective and risk factors in connection with the case presented and its environment. Each case includes individual risk and protective factors related to the child, such as school performance, social skills, motivation, emotional state, motor skills, cognitive skills, and language skills, as well as risk and protective factors related to the family and environment. It is important to observe the interactions and connections between the child, the school, and the broader environment while collecting this information (Doblinger & Becker-Stoll, 2020; Lauth et al., 2014). The social model of disability highlights the importance of social risk and protective factors in supporting children at school, in addition to individual factors. To optimally support children with learning difficulties, future teachers must be aware of various disability concepts (Gebhardt et al., 2022).

The study seeks to address the following research questions by having students work through the cases using PBL:

Q1. To what extent are students able to identify protective and risk factors in the given cases?

Q2. What additional information about the child and family or environment do the students request that was not mentioned in the cases?

Q3. What possibilities and approaches do students develop to support the child described in the case using PBL?

Schooling in the 21st century has been particularly impacted by the movement of people, whether voluntary or involuntary. The European Commission (2023) anticipates over 130 million displaced people worldwide by the end of 2024, leading to previously unseen levels of diversity in the classroom. As stated in the ECER 2024 call, this “reality of mass migration and its impact on how we think of ourselves, our borders, and our identity” requires educators to reflect critically on their work and consider concrete ways in which they can teach all students equitably regardless of culture, language, and/or dis/ability (we use “dis/ability” to show that “disability” is a social construction that is in opposition to “ability,” not something that exists within an individual person).

Globally, we find ourselves in an age of uncertainty, but educators have been grappling with culturally relevant and inclusive curricula for decades. Culturally relevant pedagogies act as a response to changing student needs and have provided space for teachers to “link principles of learning with deep understanding of (and appreciation for) culture” (Ladson-Billings, 2014), as students have better learning outcomes when academic materials are made relevant to their lives (Gay, 2000) and their cultures and linguistic practices are maintained (Paris, 2012). European scholars have recognized the need for supporting teachers to work with diverse populations (Krulatz et al., 2018) and called for increased efforts by teacher education programs (Author, 2023; Subasi Sing & Akar, 2021) and school leaders (Brown et al., 2022) to “translate policies into practice” (p. 602) by preparing teachers to work with culturally and linguistically diverse students. Inclusive educators have also built upon these assets-based pedagogies by affirming diversity of ability and creating curricula that aim to remove barriers in schools rather than attempting to change and assimilate students (Baglieri et al., 2011).

Yet the literature suggests that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teachers are often the most reluctant to adopt culturally relevant teaching (Barton, 2003; Colina Neri, Lozano, & Gomez, 2018; Gutierrez, 2013) and that inclusive pedagogies are not well integrated into science education (Stinken-Rösner, et al., 2020). Though STEM teachers agree with an inclusion of cultural and racial topics in academics, “they often question their relevance to the hard sciences” (Colina Neri et al., 2018). Instead, many believe cultural relevance is more appropriate for the humanities classroom and pride themselves on the objectivity believed to be inherent to science and mathematics (Schultz et al., 2023). As a result, “there is little research to date focusing explicitly on how to organize culturally relevant pedagogy in [STEM] classrooms” (Suad Nasir et al., 2008, p. 224). Similarly, Stinken-Rösner and colleagues (2020) have argued that “a dialogue between domains of inclusive pedagogy and specific subjects rarely occurs” (p. 30). They propose inclusive science education as a “new theoretical approach” (p. 40). There is clearly work to be done in developing STEM curricula accessible to and by diverse student populations.

In line with the theme of creating more inclusive educational communities, the purpose of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of the ways in which pre-service STEM teachers in a clinically rich, social justice-oriented teacher residency program create curricula that affirm and leverage diversity to support all students’ STEM learning. We do this by asking, (1) How are STEM teaching residents conceptualizing culturally relevant and inclusive curriculum design? and (2) How are they enacting these conceptualizations through curricular choices? This inquiry will suggest opportunities for STEM teachers to incorporate culturally relevant and inclusive pedagogies, as well as address challenges that arise that can be addressed by teacher educators and policy makers.

Preservice teaching students have been presenting with a weaker understanding of mathematics and anxiety towards the subject (Brown et al., 2012; Jensen et al., 2022). Personal beliefs about the subject, noted in tutorials and in lectures and seminars demonstrate that many students have a lower mathematics self -concept. Mathematics self - concept refers to a person’s belief about their competence in mathematics (Rossi et al., 2022; Marsh, 1986). The understanding of the link between mathematics anxiety and dyscalculia is developing (Devine et al., 2018) but its prevalence in preservice teachers and its impact on mathematical self-concept requires further exploration.

From September 2013 anyone wishing to train as a teacher in England had to pass ‘skills tests’ in English and mathematics (DFE, 2001). The introduction of these tests was aimed at improving the quality of candidates entering the profession. Despite objections from the profession and the teaching unions regarding the loss of many potential teachers and the undermining of the profession, it took a further 7 years for the tests to be scrapped. The replacement for the tests put the responsibility on both the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) provider and the candidate to assure that they have met the standard of the fundamental skills. Universities therefore need to assure that any candidates that are recommended for qualified teacher status demonstrate competency but also that support is provided to enable the candidates to become competent.

All ITT students must have attained the equivalence to a ‘C’ grade at GCSE (DfE, 2023, C1.1), England’s end of compulsory school exam, as minimum and so must have studied the subject for a minimum of 12 years. Therefore, the time to develop subject knowledge, confidence and appreciation of mathematics has been offered but so too is the chance for shallow and disconnected learning, crises of confidence and a lack of appreciation of the subject. A grade C or higher may open the door to further study but it may have been achieved through rote learning and recall rather than understanding (Chinn, 2020) and this can lead to many students who have disengaged with the subject.

The pressure to keep up with their peers may be a contributing factor to the development of anxiety around the subject. Mathematical anxiety is complex and multifaceted. It may occur for many reasons. Broadly speaking it is a negative emotional reaction to mathematics (Carey et al., 2019) which can be characterized by low mathematical confidence and expectations of success, apprehension, fear, mental blocks, reduced working memory, inaccurate perceptions of what it is to be a mathematician, avoidance, and helplessness (Chinn, 2020). The manifestation of mathematical anxiety can be seen in emotional, behavioural and physiological responses.

The development of mathematical anxiety can be attributed to a range of different factors. Many students enter ITT believing that they have a specific learning difficulty around numbers and the understanding of mathematics however there can also be many contributing reasons for this too. Students may have dyscalculia; however, this condition may not have been formally diagnosed. Dyscalculia is defined as a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics. Unexpected in relation to age and level of education, mathematics difficulties are best thought of as a continuum where dyscalculia falls at one end of the spectrum and will be distinguishable from other mathematics issues due to the severity of difficulties with number sense, including subitising, symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparison, and ordering. It can occur singly but often co-occurs with other specific learning difficulties, mathematics anxiety and medical conditions (SASC,2019).

The question of equality within school systems is being discussed with new fervour as social cohesion in European society seems under duress. This brings on the demand for changes in the training of teachers as they are seen as the body that can offer the most immediate remedy for discrimination within the school system, which can be a way to promote social equality within the whole of society. An up-to-date understanding of diversity and its consequences is paramount for teachers to tackle this task.

Looking at material collected during a course on “diversity in school” as part of a teacher training degree (Bachelor level), we tried to understand how students' perception of diversity is being influenced by the presentation and discussion of scientific findings on diversity and the consequences they should have for teachers' actions. The insights are used to draw conclusions on how to make the teaching of critical educational research more effective.

Dealing with diversity is an essential part of professionalization, which, however, poses multiple challenges for students' identities: becoming aware of being themselves a person with a diversified identity, and becoming competent in dealing with others' diversity through a so-called "glocal" competence that enables future teachers in diverse classrooms to negotiate, adapt, and collaborate in a super diverse environment while maintaining local attitudes (Madden, 2022).

Teacher training for dealing with diversity often targets an intersection between personality and future profession. Reflection on behavior towards students and the recognition of needs in them necessarily mean a confrontation with personal beliefs and traits. The training as a teacher, however, also has a dimension that transcends the individual level. Teachers and those studying to be such become a community of practice (abbr. CoP, Wenger, 1998) as they develop their skills and negotiate strategies together. The CoP develops into a social group with boundaries of membership and a social identity (Hornsey, 2008). Such a social identity can be described as a professional identity since it supersedes the boundaries of the members that physically meet and know each other to include ideas of what members of the teaching profession are like (Ashcraft, 2013).

For teachers, this means they accept the tacit knowledge of their ingroup as true to become full members of the CoP: they accept the narratives of the diversity discourse as it develops around schools through political documents and professional discourse. In the school system, this discourse often is built on a perception of reality that is no longer in tune with social realities: it still assumes students who are able-bodied, monolingual, and with only one, Christian-based middle-class culture as a background to be the majority, the benchmark of normality (Schmidt/Wächter, 2023). This has far-reaching consequences for teacher students. To be accepted into the CoP of teachers, they must subscribe to this perception of reality, which is at odds with the basis of much of the scientific findings they are presented with in training. Their peers expect them to react to situations in line with ingroup convictions, for example, with regard to labeling and consequent discrimination of student groups because of ingroup narratives. This produces a dissonance between professional training and practice.

Context: Understanding newly qualified teachers’ experiences of arrival into the profession is a well-established research concern in teacher professional learning discourse (Ingersoll and Strong 2011; Kearney 2014, 2015, 2021; Aspfors and Fransson 2015; Spooner-lane 2017; Reeves et al 2022; Shanks et al 2022). Such research has highlighted the complexity of this transition: for example (i) the tensions that newly qualified teachers [NQTs hereafter] may experience (Aspfors and Bondas 2013; Pillen et al 2013; Correa et al, 2015; Van der Wal et al 2019; Stenberg and Maaranen 2021; Kvam et al 2023), (ii) the stress associated with entering the profession (Gallant and Riley 2017; Kelchtermans 2017b; Schaefer and Clandinin 2019; Mc Carthy et al 2020; Schaefer et al 2021), (iii) the techniques used to navigate school micro-politics (Kelchtermans and Ballet 2002a, 2002b; Kvam et al 2023) and (iv) a variety of coping mechanisms that NQTs employ in response to the challenges of arrival in the profession (Mansfield et al 2014; Christensen et al 2018; Bjørndal et al 2022; Lindqvist et al 2022). In parallel, the need for supporting NQT professional learning/socialisation into the profession is a well-established international policy concern (OECD 2005, 2019a, 2019b, 2020; European Commission 2010; European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice 2021; Courtney et al 2023). Subsequently, and in most jurisdictions, NQT induction into the profession has become an established component of teacher education continu/pathways. Despite such widespread attention, there are emerging concerns regarding how NQTs are positioned within induction support structures (Corea et al 2015; Simmie et al 2017; Kelchtermans 2019; Kvam et al 2023). For example, Kelchtermans (2019, p. 86) makes the case that ‘deficit thinking’ in teacher induction/mentoring processes (i) positions the NQT as ‘incomplete and not fully competent’ and (ii) focuses on ‘individual’s weaknesses and shortcomings, rather than their strengths and potential’. To counter the potential for deficit thinking, Kelchtermans (2019, p. 87) argues that ‘the very idea of early career teachers and teacher induction needs to be re-thought, reconceptualised and revised’ and one of the mechanisms put forward for doing so is to acknowledge NQTs existing expertise and agency. We see that this is best approached by appraising NQT arrival in the profession as a form of ‘identity learning’ (Geijsel and Meijers 2006, p. 420) i.e., the ways NQTs navigate ‘the collective meaning-giving’ and ‘personal sense-making’ (Geijsel and Meijers 2006, p. 428) that accompanies the transition.

Aim: Using a Foucauldian framework (Foucault 1983, 1985; Clarke 2009), the aim of this paper therefore is to understanding how NQTs construct themselves in ethico-political terms i.e., how NQTs, both as person and teacher, construct the relationship that they have with themselves.

Conceptual Framework: Informed by Foucault (1983a, 1985) our understanding of the ethico-political is framed by his conceptualisation of both the ‘values and rules of action that are recommended to individuals through the intermediary of various prescriptive agencies’ (Foucault 1985, p. 25) and the enactment of ‘real behaviour’ by ‘individuals in relation to rules and values that are recommended to them’ (Foucault 1985, 25). As a fusion between the political and the personal, we understand ‘real behaviour’ as those ascendant discourses that steer how the NQT sees themselves and importantly, how they wish to be seen by others. This paper addresses the ethico-political identity of the NQT in terms (i) the ethical substance i.e., the ways that the NQT constitutes themselves (ii) the authority sources i.e., the attributed sources through which the the NQT comes to know their ethical substance (iii) self-practices i.e., the ethical work that the NQT undertakes to understand themselves vis-à-vis unfolding experiences and (iv) telos i.e., the mode of being the prospective teacher aspires toward.

This paper provides an analysis of teacher education policy across the UK and its closest European partner, Ireland and considers the extent to which it enables the enactment of teacher agency to support an enhanced teacher professionalism. Anderson (2010:541) defines agency as the teacher’s ‘capacity to make choices, take principled action, and enact change’. Biesta and Tedder (2006) adopt an ecological approach, suggesting that professional action is defined by the context within which the teacher finds themselves. Similarly, Molla and Nolan (2020) suggest that professional practice emerges from an interplay between systemic expectations, contexts and personal dispositions. To understand the link between agency and professionalism therefore, consideration must be given to the connections between the different variables which influence teachers’ lives.

Moving along a continuum from reflective, to prescriptive professionalism, the paper begins with a consideration of the contextual and policy variables in Ireland, North and South. In both jurisdictions, there is a strong regulatory requirement for entry to, and accreditation of teacher education programmes. In Ireland, the Teaching Council (TC) is responsible for the registration of teachers and the promotion of high standards in teaching. The TC’s Policy on the Continuum of Teacher Education (2011) has been implemented through Cosán: Framework for Teachers’ Learning (2016a), Droichead: The Integrated Professional Induction Framework (2017) and Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education (2020), with professionalism as one of the guiding principles for each framework. Similarly, in Northern Ireland, the General Teaching Council (GTCNI) oversees the registration and professional development of teachers through its competence framework, Teaching: The Reflective Profession (GTCNI, 2007). More recently, there is also Learning Leaders: A Strategy for Teacher Professional Learning (DENI, 2016) which focuses on the promotion of leadership at all levels. Both jurisdictions also place a strong emphasis on the importance of ethics, values, and dispositions, and provide guidance and support to teachers in these areas.

Secondly, the paper explores how policy ideas travel across the organisational boundaries between the two devolved jurisdictions of Scotland and Wales. In particular, the paper focuses on curriculum reform and how government-appointed advisors act as intermediaries in the design and enactment of policy ideas (Hulme et al., 2020). Key policy documents from Scotland and Wales, including: Successful Futures (Donaldson, 2023); and Teaching Scotland’s Future (Donaldson, 2010) are analysed through the concepts of ‘spaces and time’ (McCann and Ward, 2013:10) to examine how such trans-national policy making is then experienced by teachers and teacher educators in the local context (Stone, 2004).

Finally, the paper turns to England where, there is considerable emphasis on policy initiatives associated with marketisation and a culture of entrepreneurialism; standards-based and outcomes-defined policy reforms and developments, underpinned by managerialist ideologies. Coupled with this, there has been increased technologies of governance, leading to ever tightening regulatory control and surveillance driven by a focus on accountability and professional standards alongside the provision of centralised curricula. A Market Review of Initial Teacher Training (DfE 2021) and the introduction of a Core Content Framework (DfE, 2019) has seen pre-service teacher education become narrowed, premised on ‘permitted’ pedagogies, practice, curriculum content, and the expectation of standardisation regarding what beginning teachers need to know and be able to do. This reductive form of teacher preparation leads to what we might call ‘pedagogies of the same, rather than pedagogies of difference’ (Lingard, 2007:248); neglecting the role that teachers, schools and universities play in designing assessments and curricula in response to student needs, and in respect of professional knowledge and expertise.

Montessori pedagogy is said to be the largest and most widely spread non-traditional, alternative form of education. Some estimations show that there are at least 15,763 schools of this type located in 154 countries all around the world (Debs et al., 2022). Since 1909, when the first Montessori teacher training course took place (Cossentino, 2009), this community has been cultivating a unique form of “adult preparation” that is often referred to as transformation including inner spirituality as well intellectual, practical and physical dispositions (Jendza, 2023). At the same time, the empirical research reports oriented at displaying this approach to teacher education are sparse (Gerker, 2023; Macià-Gual & Domingo-Peñafiel, 2021). Thus, the main objective of this qualitative and ethnographic scholarship was to investigate the process of Montessori teacher training programme focusing on the experience of the aforementioned transformation in an international and multicultural group. In other words, the preliminary research question was formulated as follows: How do Montessori teacher trainees experience and thematise their adult preparation programme? In order to carry out this study, the author followed the strategy of participatory ethnography and took part in an international course affiliated to Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), lasting nine months, carried out between 2020 - 2022 and spread over three-summer period. The collected and later analysed research material allowed for the construction of a few main interpretive threads linking theories such as: (1) Thing-centred Pedagogy (Vlieghe & Zamojski, 2019), (2) the concept of school as free time (Masschelein & Simons, 2013), (3) the idea of teacher education as a space of working with difference (Szkudlarek, 2005), and (4) the analyses of study practices derived from the works of Tyson Lewis (Lewis, 2013).

Increasing teacher shortage has become a cause of a severe concern in most EU and OECD countries. In the last three decades, most countries have faced declining amounts of applicants to teacher education programs, a significant number of graduates are leaving the teaching career within the first five working years after graduation, and the ageing of population and high attrition rates are expected to create a further imbalance in the future where fewer new teachers are entering the field compared to the number of experienced teachers exiting. Hence, it has become a pressing issue in education policymaking and politics worldwide to find strategies for both student recruitment and teacher retention. (European Commission, 2023; OECD, 2023; UNESCO, 2023).
Addressing the teacher shortage is a multifaceted challenge, with various, interconnected factors influencing both the problem and its potential solutions. Previous research has for instance pointed out that in a booming economy, the availability of more attractive and financially lucrative careers increases the possibility of resignation of teachers and reduces the interest to teacher education (Sinclair et el., 2006), and the recruitment of students into the teaching profession is hampered by prevalent ideas, associating it for instance with low status and inadequate compensation (Richardson and Watt, 2005). In its recent report, UNESCO (2023) listed elements like motivation, recruitment, retention, training, working conditions, and social status as critical aspects that warrant attention.
This study focuses especially on the motivation and commitment to early childhood education teacher profession of students prior and during their studies and after graduation when entering the working life. Earlier research has indicated a dual relationship: firstly, the correlation between motivation and study engagement and secondly, the link between motivation, study engagement, and a sustained commitment to the teaching profession both immediately after graduation and over the long term (Rots and Aelterman, 2009; Struyven et al., 2013). The commitment seems particularly pronounced when students` motivation stems from internal and altruistic motives, such as a desire to make a positive contribution to society or contribute to children´s learning and development (Struyven et al., 2013; Watt and Richardson, 2007). The connection between motivation, and study and career engagement, is further strengthened by positive experiences during teacher education(Bruinsma and Jansen, 2010).
Previous studies have predominantly focused on primary and subject teacher education, but the field of early childhood education has been overseen. In addition, prior research has predominantly relied on quantitative data, frequently utilizing single-point survey questionnaires. What remains unclear in such studies is how the motivation of students evolves during their studies in teacher education and consequently, as they enter the field as recently graduated teachers. Furthermore, single-point studies seldom pay attention to previous life experiences behind students´ motivation for choosing teaching as career. For a richer picture on motivation driving teacher students in their studies and into career commitment in teacher profession, Struyven et al. (2013) have proposed the utilisation of longitudinal research designs that follow the motivation and commitment of students throughout their studies and after graduation.

This paper draws on longitudinal interview data of four early childhood education students in the context of Finland. It particularly focuses on previous life experiences behind the choice to teach and examines the development of students´ motivation during their studies in the three-year early childhood education teacher program. This paper is a sub-study of the research project Commitment to early childhood education teacher studies and profession (SIMO) and presents the first preliminary results of the longitudinal qualitative data of the project.

The arts occupy a special place in human culture: they are an alternative way of understanding and interpreting the world to scientific inquiry. This is what Aristotle's notion of catharsis refers to, which in its original sense means "initiation into the highest laws of reality". Although art is often contrasted in the European tradition with science, the difference lies in the way of understanding: in contrast to the analytical, analytical understanding that is common and accepted in the sciences, in the arts we are dealing with a kind of holistic, deep understanding, a kind of insight. Nowadays, more and more educational researchers stress the importance of art education, but there are still many questions and doubts about the subject. Although there have been several studies on the equalizing and disadvantage compensating effects of arts education (Sz.Fodor, Kerekes, 2020; L. Ritók, 2010), often it is precisely those social groups who need it most that do not have access to the right quality and quantity of education (Katz-Buonincontro, 2018; Váradi, 2020). The cultural and economic capital of families is a major determinant of whether or not children participate in some kind of artistic activities outside school (Kis, Bartalis, Boros, 2020), i.e. whether they acquire cultural capital (e.g. through the arts) that, according to Bourdieu's (1998) theory, can be transformed into economic capital in adulthood. Most experts agree, however, that the role of the teacher is crucial in the experience and study of art. So, in teacher training, particular attention should be paid to training teachers who will in the future provide opportunities for children to encounter the arts.

The more positive a teacher's experience in arts, the more effective and successful he or she feels in different artistic fields, the more likely he or she is to use the arts in his or her everyday pedagogical practice (Orek, 2004; Garvis, Pendergast, 2011; Pinczésné-Palásthy et al,). On the other hand, teacher education (especially preschool and primary school teacher education) is characterised by a high proportion of students with low socio-economic status, who have had limited exposure to the arts as part of high culture during their family socialisation and school years (Bocsi, 2017). Nevertheless, there is hope that a well-constructed arts education programme in initial teacher education which provides authentic activities and many practical experiences can reframe students' perceived competences, self-eficacy and prior emotional experiences (Gatt and Karppinen, 2014).

In our research we investigated preschool and primary school teacher training participants' attitudes towards arts, perceived competences and self-efficacy in arts. We wanted to know how students perceived their own content knowledge and competencies in six different art areas (music, dance, drama, literature, crafts and visual arts, and media), how difficult they perceived the tasks to be, how important they considered proficiency in these different art areas as future teachers, and how this influenced their pedagogical views on teaching arts.

Teacher agency has become an increasingly common focus for research across Europe in the past 10 years (Cong-Lem, 2021; Deschêne & Parent, 2022) where it is viewed as ‘an influential factor for teacher professional learning, school improvement and sustainable educational change’ (Cong-Lem, 2021, p. 718). It is considered as a desirable and potentially powerful means of teachers working to improve the educational experiences of typically underserved communities; such contexts can be extremely demanding, contributing to teacher stress, burnout and high staff turnover (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2020; Santoro, 2018).

Teacher agency is almost unilaterally positioned as a ‘good thing’, or a desirable state: something to be ‘achieved’ (Rushton & Bird, 2023). We contend that agency is not necessarily in and of itself a ‘good thing’, or at least, that this has not been sufficiently justified in the literature to-date. This paper therefore seeks to foreground a more nuanced and multifaceted view of agency than is typically found in the literature on teachers and teacher education with a view to more accurately encompassing the various ways in which teachers enact (rather than achieve) agency. We offer an alternative and more encompassing means of understanding how teacher agency might be exercised in the lives of teachers committed to working in underserved communities in this age of uncertainty. This conceptualisation offers the possibility of understanding all presentations of teacher agency rather than valorising only the agentic action that is seen to contribute directly and positively to educational change.

Teacher agency is most commonly viewed through an ‘ecological’ perspective (Priestley et al, 2015) which derives from sociocultural thinking. In contrast, and to counter this tendency towards a singular or monolithic view of teacher agency, we locate our paper within a psychosocial approach that draws on sociology, critical and poststructural theories and Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalytic theory (Frosh, 2010, Lacan, 2007, Verhaeghe, 1995). We are interested in the tension between discourses presenting teachers as heroic agents of individual emancipation and social transformation, such as those found in recruitment campaigns and Hollywood films, and the erosion of spaces for professional agency brought about by the dominance of discourses and practices of standards and accountability in schools. In order to explore these tensions, we draw on the conceptual resources of Lacanian discourse theory and particularly on recent work in this field articulating agency as something manifesting in multiple modalities (Bunn et al., 2022). Bunn, et al. (ibid.) present a study of students’ learning journeys in higher education, and drawing on Lacan’s (2007) four discourses (the master, the university, the hysteric and the analyst), they identify four modes of agency being exercised, namely subservient, subsistence, subliminal and sublime. The students in the study do not, however, only demonstrate one mode of agency, rather they demonstrate major and minor tendencies towards different modes, evident in different contexts at different points in their ‘journeys’.

This paper explicates this conceptualisation of agency with reference to the experiences of early career teachers who have committed explicitly to wanting to teach in typically underserved communities. We explore how this conceptualisation might help us to understand where and how these early career teachers exercise different modes of agency. In so doing, we seek to normalise a range of agentic behaviours rather than support a discourse which valorises the narrative of the heroic teacher, or ‘teacher as agent of change’ (Rushton & Bird, 2023, p. 3).

The 21st century is characterised by uncertainty. The world is facing different social, political and economic crises such as inequality, instability, climate change, diseases and pandemics, which means that humanity has to face new global challenges that significantly affect our existence and development (Worldwatch Institute, 2016). Agenda 2030, developed by UN, serves as a guideline for responding to global developments and aims to leave no one behind. Within this framework, the UN agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim is to ensure prosperity and well-being for all, to strengthen peace and to protect our planet (UNESCO, 2017). To achieve these objectives, Education has immense significance in the context of Agenda 2030: on the one hand, it is defined as an explicit goal (SDG4), on the other education is seen as a key instrument and resource for a comprehensive implementation of Agenda 2030 (UNESCO, 2017; Ferrer-Estévez & Chalmeta, 2021).

Teacher Educators plays a crucial role in supporting the global agenda for sustainability. They can be described as key actors in formal education who can bring about a change in behaviour towards sustainability and must provide pre-service teachers with the tools and skills to achieve transformation process (Anderson, 2017). Also Cramer et al. (2020) or Darling- Hammond (2006) point out the influence of teachers’ knowledge of students learning outcomes.

Since the early 1990s, increasing attention has been paid to the crucial role of teacher educators in educational practice as well as their research and policy (Koster, Brekelmans, Korthagen & Wubbels, 2005). However, they are still described as a “hidden profession” (Murray, 2011). There is very little scientific evidence on teacher educator knowledge and how they act in teaching situations (Schratz, 2012). The impact of teacher educators on the professionalism of future teachers and therefor also on the curricular priorities will shape learning in classrooms for decades. Having the SDGs in mind, it is inevitable to promote teacher educators’ professional awareness and identity, it to strengthen their different competences (knowledge, abilities, values) and their teaching practices. A crucial factor for the implementation of the SDGs in teaching is the attitude and self-efficacy of individuals (Knoll et al., 2005). The educators own understanding of what they are doing influences the values they pass on to those they teach. Recent studies (García-Rico et al., 2021) have shown the potential for strengthening teachers’ knowledge, understanding, sensitivity and bias towards sustainability. The role of teachers therefore strongly influences the extent to which pupils are confronted with the transformation processes and development towards sustainability the SDGs are aiming for (UNESCO, 2017).

This paper discusses findings from an international project between South Africa and Austria, funded from OeAD (2023-2025) which aims to get a deeper theoretical understanding of teachers educators’ professionalism in relation to sustainability. Initial, emergent findings from the data collection will be presented. The focus of the paper will be on the following questions:

• How do teacher educators define their professional role regarding Agenda 2030?
• How do teacher educators consider the SDGs in their teaching?

The rationale of the project is the assumption that an expansion of the critical mass of teacher educators who contribute to knowledge development relating to the Sustainable Development Goals as part of global teacher education, can serve as a key strategy to accelerate the achievement of the global goals as presented in Agenda 2030.

Research has consistently demonstrated the critical role of teachers' basic need satisfaction (BNS) in both teaching and learning (for teaching, see Moè & Katz, 2021; for learning, see Poulou, 2020). Consequently, enhancing BNS has emerged as a key issue within teacher education (Slemp et al., 2020). Self-determination theory posits that social support, such as collaboration, can bolster BNS, a notion supported by empirical findings (Deci et al., 2017). However, the ways in which collaboration may differentially influence various types of teachers' BNS remains understudied, despite the potential to enrich our understanding of BNS and inform educational programme design.

To address this research gap, we draw upon job crafting theory and self-determination theory to explore the potential role of job crafting in the relationship between collaboration and teachers' BNS. Job crafting theory suggests that individuals can 'shape, mould, and redefine their jobs' (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001, p. 180), thereby fulfilling their needs (Bakker et al., 2023). Considering that job crafting behaviour is heavily influenced by colleague interaction (Demerouti & Peeters, 2018;), we hypothesise that job crafting behaviour mediates the relationships between collaboration and different types of teachers' BNS.

In this study, we examine the relationships between collaboration and three types of teachers' BNS, before investigating how various forms of job crafting behaviour mediate these relationships.

Theoretical Framework

Self-determination theory proposes that individuals inherently strive to fulfil three fundamental psychological needs – autonomy, competence, and relatedness – when engaging in purposeful actions (Deci et al., 2017). Each of the three needs plays a unique role in shaping individuals' experiences and actions (Deci & Ryan, 2000, 2017). Currently, studies investigating the antecedent mechanisms of BNS typically combine the three types (Deci et al., 2017). However, a review of 99 studies by Van den Broeck and colleagues (2016) highlighted a gap in knowledge regarding the potentially distinct antecedent mechanisms of each basic need.

Job crafting is defined as individuals’ self-initiated behaviour of changing their job content and scope to match their needs or competence (Tims et al., 2012). There are five general types of teachers’ job crafting: increasing structural job resources, increasing social job resources, increasing challenging job demands, optimising job demands, and decreasing hindering job demands (Huang et al., 2022; Demerouti & Peeters, 2018; Tims et al., 2021). Job crafting theory posits that through different types of job crafting, individuals can establish a sense of control, meaningfulness, social connection, and positive self-image at work (Wrzeniewski & Dutton, 2001), suggesting a potential impact of job crafting on teachers’ BNS.

Job crafting theory argues that promotion-oriented job crafting, which involves increasing structural and social job resources and increasing challenging job demands, can boost individuals’ work volition, variety of skills, and collegial relationships (Lichtenthaler & Fischbach, 2019) and thereby contribute to their BNS (Wrzesniewski & Dutton, 2001). Teachers’ BNS can benefit from optimising job demands and work procedures, allowing them to save time and effort by exploring their preferred ways to perform tasks and thereby satisfy their BNS (for competence, see Poulsen & Poulsen, 2018; for autonomy, see Bruning & Campion, 2018; for relatedness, see Huang et al., 2022). Decreasing hindering job demands behaviour, which normally involves addressing negative emotions (Crawford et al., 2010) or insufficient work motivation (Lichtenthaler & Fischbach, 2016), might constrain teachers’ BNS (for competence, see Rudolph et al., 2017; for autonomy, see Toyama, 2022; for relatedness, see Vansteenkiste et al., 2020).

Research has shown that high-quality teacher-child interactions are associated with children's learning outcomes, both in terms of language development and social skills (Reyhing & Perren, 2023). High-quality interactions consist of complex teacher behaviours: providing language input, providing opportunities for language production, and providing feedback (Peleman et al., 2020; Verhallen & Walst, 2011). Rich language input can be provided by setting high expectations for children and using complex syntax and extensive vocabulary (Grifenhagen & Dickinson, 2023). Preschool teachers can create opportunities for language production by being linguistically responsive to children's interests and language output (Justice et al., 2018). Language stimulating feedback can be defined as responding positively to children's utterances and recasting or expanding them (Bradley & Reinking, 2011; Justice et al., 2018; Peleman et al., 2020). The quality of interactions has been shown to be of paramount importance, but often doesn't have a high quality (Peleman et al., 2020; Wolstein et al., 2021). To realize qualitative interactions, complex language stimulating competences are necessary.

Teacher competence goes beyond the behaviours mentioned above. Blömeke (2015) defines competence as a continuum, contextualised in the real world, in which complex intellectual characteristics, together with affect-motivational dispositions, lead to and underpin the observable behaviour. Therefore, this study aims to explore one of the affective-motivational dispositions that influences ECE student teachers' language stimulation competencies, namely self-efficacy (Wolstein et al., 2021).

Self-efficacy is an important characteristic of teachers (Holzberger et al., 2013). It acts as cognitive filter that shapes thoughts and classroom behaviour (Keppens et al., 2021). It is defined as an individual's belief in the "ability to organise and execute the courses of action required to produce given performances" (Bandura, 1977, p.3). The most used theoretical framework to describe self-efficacy is Bandura's (1977) socio-cognitive theory (De Coninck et al., 2020). Bandura (1977) argued that cognitive processes mediate change and behaviour. To complete a task or perform a behaviour in the classroom, a teacher needs knowledge, skills, and a sense of confidence (Park et al., 2016). A substantial body of research supports that teachers' self-efficacy beliefs are related to several important teacher behaviours, such as more effective teaching practices, as well as student outcomes, such as student achievement and motivation (De Coninck et al., 2020).

Previous research has shown a relationship between teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and the quality of their classroom learning interactions (Guo et al., 2012; Son & Sung, 2014; Wolstein et al., 2021). For example, teachers with higher levels of self-efficacy are more likely to interact in a sensitive and supportive manner (Guo et al., 2012). However, other studies in the early childhood context do not show a clear relationship between self-efficacy and interaction quality (Guo et al., 2010; Reyhing & Perren, 2023; Spear et al., 2018). It is noteworthy that these studies measured self-efficacy beliefs as a broad construct. For example, Reyhing & Perren (2023) defined it as the extent to which early childhood educators feel able to engage in educational practice, whereas Bandura (2005) wrote: "There is no universal measure of perceived self-efficacy (Bandura, 2005, p. 307). A “one size fits all” approach will not explain or predict performance in the context of language development because a universal test will not be as relevant as a contextualised instrument (Bandura, 2005). To fill this research gap and to gain a clearer understanding of the relationship between self-efficacy and interaction quality, there is a need for an instrument in the context of language interaction in early childhood education (ECE). This paper describes the exploration of self-efficacy and the development of a self-report survey measure of student teachers' self-efficacy beliefs about their language stimulating competences.

Guided by its motto "United in diversity," the European Union the European Union actively promotes linguistic and cultural diversity by endorsing and safeguarding minority regional and migrant languages. Underlining the significance of plurilingual and intercultural education for fostering a democratic culture, the Recommendation (CM/Rec(2022)1) emphasizes the need for member states to adapt their policies and practices accordingly.

Reflecting this commitment, the recently enacted Spanish Law of Education (LOMLOE, Real Decreto 217/2022) has incorporated plurilingual competence as one of the key competences that students are expected to develop. At the regional level, it is noteworthy that Catalonia, one of Spain's bilingual Autonomous Communities, has implemented several measures to ensure an inclusive education system. Specifically, the Linguistic Model of the Educational System of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya, 2018) establishes a plurilingual and intercultural educational framework with Catalan as the reference language. Simultaneously, the Inclusion Decree 120/2017 guarantees the presence, participation, and learning of all students, with a particular focus on those belonging to vulnerable groups, such as students of immigrant origin.

These measures are a direct response to the challenges posed by the growing immigrant population, where students of immigrant origin now constitute 17% of the student body in Primary Education and 8% in Secondary Education (IDESCAT, 2023).

However, many teachers do not feel adequately prepared to teach in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts (Acquah & Commins, 2017). OECD reviews on the education of immigrants (2015, 2019) pointed out that teachers in Spain are among those who feel the least prepared to teach in multicultural or multilingual environments. These findings were confirmed by recent studies conducted in Catalonia, where it was observed that the majority of teachers do not consider the native languages of their students as learning resources when managing the classroom (Sáenz et al., forthcoming).

Hence, it is imperative for educators to possess the requisite competencies to excel in their teaching roles within an inclusive and intercultural educational system. Additionally, there is a need to establish conceptual frameworks and pedagogies that align with the identified needs and objectives. Approaches such as culturally responsive teaching (Gay, 2018), culturally sustaining education (Paris, 2012, Alim & Paris, 2017) and translanguaging (García, 2009) can prove instrumental in this regard. These methodologies enable a critical understanding of linguistic and cultural diversity in classrooms, taking into account the varied needs, expectations, and linguistic and cultural backgrounds of all students, including those of immigrant origin. They underscore the idea that cultural and linguistic diversity is an opportunity to enhance the learning processes, thereby contributing inherently to an educational environment that cultivates citizens open to diversity and equipped to thrive in a multilingual and intercultural society.

Both approaches, integrated into the framework of initial teacher training, hold the potential to significantly impact three crucial variables aimed at enhancing language quality within the Catalan educational system: multicultural efficacy, teacher ethnocultural empathy, and cultural intelligence.

In this context, the primary objective of this study is to formulate and test a proposal for the training of pre-service primary education and secondary school teachers. This involves incorporating translanguaging practices and culturally responsive-sustaining education to elevate perceived teacher self-efficacy and improve teaching in culturally and linguistically diverse educational settings. The overarching goal is to contribute to the development of an inclusive, high-quality, and intercultural educational system.

Specifically, this study aims to answer the following research questions: (1) To what extent do pre-service teachers exhibit multicultural efficacy, ethnocultural empathy, and intercultural intelligence? (2) What effects does a training intervention on translanguaging and culturally responsive-sustaining education have on pre-service teachers' professional development?

High-quality language interactions during preschool age play a crucial role in supporting children's language development in early childhood education (ECE) (European Commission, 2018), and in particular for at-risk children (Sammons et al., 2015). Therefore, enhancing teachers' Language Stimulating (LS) competencies is a significant focus for both pre- and in-service preschool teachers. These competencies are integral to the professional identity of preschool teachers and are central in teacher education curricula. An important element in teachers’ competencies, along with knowledge, classroom behaviour and motivational aspects, is teachers’ pedagogical beliefs (Wieduwilt et al., 2023).

Teachers’ beliefs are described by Pajares (1992, p. 325) as “a filter through which new phenomena are interpreted”, shaping how teachers interpret situations, influencing their perceptions of the classroom context and subsequent behaviour (Degotardi & Gill, 2017; Pajares, 1992). Research commonly categorizes beliefs into teacher-centred and child-centred beliefs (Stipek & Byler, 1997; Wieduwilt et al., 2021). Child-centred pedagogical beliefs emphasize fostering children's autonomy and active exploration, while teacher-centred beliefs involve a more directive approach with the teacher leading in structuring children's learning. In the child-centred approach, language learning is closely tied to children's free play, with the teacher playing a responsive role (Weikart, 2000). The key distinction between both approaches lies in the degree of child engagement, with child-centred pedagogy aligning closely with constructivist approaches, and teacher-centred pedagogical beliefs with transmissive approaches (Lui & Bonner, 2016).

Pianta and colleagues (2005) suggest that child-centred beliefs are associated with higher interaction and instruction quality, and a more positive emotional climate in teacher-child interactions compared to teacher-centred beliefs (Wieduwilt et al., 2021). Furthermore, child-directed interaction, as emphasized in sociocultural research as creating shared experiences between children and teachers, is considered crucial for language development (Peleman et al., 2020; Rowe & Snow, 2020). However, while child-centred beliefs are believed to be essential for a language-stimulating environment, the literature lacks consistency on this matter, requiring more research on the specific relation between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and various quality facets (Wieduwilt et al., 2023). For example, Justice and colleagues (2018) highlight the importance of overall classroom quality, including factors like teacher-child ratio and instructional support, for children's language development in early childhood education, alongside linguistic responsivity and quality of teacher talk. It is therefore hypothesized that a certain level of teacher-centred beliefs – in combination to the child-centred beliefs, is necessary, where a teacher structures the classroom activities in such a way that many child-directed, language stimulating interactions can be realized.

Wieduwilt et al. (2021) stress the need for more empirical data on pedagogical beliefs, particularly in the context of language-related beliefs. To our knowledge, there is currently no questionnaire to capture these beliefs on stimulating language interactions in ECE. Therefore, the primary goal of this paper is to develop an instrument for capturing content-specific pedagogical beliefs on language-stimulating interaction in the ECE context. Additionally, the aim is explore the underlying structures of ECE teachers' pedagogical beliefs regarding language-stimulating interaction, assuming a twofold categorization. The final aim of this paper is to present preliminary results on the pedagogical beliefs of ECE student teachers in Flanders.

The moral nature of teaching and teachers’ ethical responsibilities have been explored for decades (Schjetne et al., 2016). Nevertheless, the implementation of teacher morality remains challenging in practice. Teachers’ insufficient understandings of teacher morality has been identified as a significant contributing factor to this issue. For instance, many teachers rely on formal codes of professional ethics as the basis for understanding teacher morality. But this approach tends to be far from adequate when it comes to complex educational activities in practice (Campbell, 2008).

Pre-service teachers are prone to be confused under such circumstances due of their limited practical educational experiences. Their perceptions of teacher morality heavily depend on what they have been taught. However, despite the inclusion of moral education in teacher education programmes worldwide, there is a lack of emphasis on the extent to which pre-service teachers are able to internalise and construct their personal understandings of teacher morality. Teacher educators tend to impart moral norms and theories relevant to the teaching profession, with relatively little attention to the cultivation of individual values and the resolution of ethical dilemmas (Willemse, Lunenberg, & Korthagen, 2005; Pantić & Wubbels, 2008).

Therefore, there is need for exploring innovative approaches that can foster the development of pre-service teachers’ perceptions of teacher morality. Embodied pedagogy has emerged as an effective approach to enhancing learning. It emphasizes the integration of learners’ body, cognition and context, providing a new approach to developing pre-service teachers’ perceptions of teacher morality (Nguyen & Larson, 2015; Liu et al., 2022). Previous research has also revealed the impact of embodied experiences, such as physical actions, tactile sensations, and visual stimuli on cognitive activities relevant to morality (Schaefer et al., 2014, 2015; Gan, Fang, & Ge, 2016). However, most of the studies on incorporating embodied pedagogy into teacher education are theoretical studies, and there remains a lack of empirical evidence collected from educational practice. Therefore, this study aims to explore how do pre-service teachers’ perceptions of teacher morality develop through embodied pedagogy.

The conceptual framework is constructed based on embodied cognitive theory and conceptual metaphor theory. Embodied cognitive theory emphasizes the integral role of body in cognitive processes, suggesting that our cognition is shaped by our bodily experiences within certain contexts (Wilson, 2002). Conceptual metaphor theory conceptualises cognition as a “mapping” process from a familiar and concrete “source domain” to an unfamiliar and abstract “target domain” (Lakoff, 2006).

According to this conceptual framework, embodied pedagogy is interpreted as a transformative process where pre-service teachers actively engage their bodies in classroom activities, and therefore construct new understandings of teacher morality. They participate in various activities and gain direct embodied experiences, i.e., concrete source domain. Then teachers gradually go through the mapping process under the guidance of teacher educators, including connecting their present embodied experiences with past and future educational practices, as well as combining concrete activities with abstract theories. Consquently, they reach deeper and more comprehensive understandings of teacher morality, i.e., abstract target domain. Their perceptions of teacher morality are characterised through two dimensions: one focuses on the abstract concepts of moral values that the teaching profession requires, while the other involves teachers’ moral behaviours in educational practice.

This research was conducted in a course on teacher morality where embodied pedagogy was utilised at B University in China. The study participants involve all the nine pre-service teachers enrolled in this course. Multiple qualitative data collection methods were employed, including classroom observations, focus group interviews, teachers’ written assignments and reflective reports. The data was analysed and compared to gain insights into the development of pre-service teachers’ perceptions of teacher morality through embodied pedagogy.

This paper investigated whether there were variations in career choice motivations of Israeli teacher education students depending on their religious background. Given the division in society and the education system, the question arose whether religion might have a so far overlooked influence on the motives for choosing the teacher profession.

The FIT-Choice framework served as a theoretical framework for the study. Motives were analysed looking at group differences by religion in the motivations for entering the teaching profession. While most motives were homogenous among religious groups in Israel, some exhibited significant differences affiliated to religious values.

This indicates that by ignoring religious affiliation, voices of underrepresented groups might be silenced resp. not respected in their special views. This leads to conclusions for dealing with underrepresented (religious) groups within teacher education settings in ways that help to attract and retain them for the teacher profession.

Objectives and purposes

The project from which this paper originated compared the career choice motives of future teachers from different countries, among them Israel. The Israeli cooperation partners decided to swap a descriptive item asking for the nationality of participants with one that asked to which religious group they belonged.

As religion and the feeling of national belonging are reported to be strongly combined in Israel (Breit and Wolff, 2012) the initial oversight of religion's role in the international project may have been attributed to cultural bias. We took the chance of the unplanned coincidence and argued in line with Suryani et al. (2016) that it might be important to take religion into account as additional information for countries where religion plays a significant role in society. This could pose an opportunity to give a voice to specific religious groups within the Israeli education system which might have been underrepresented so far.

Theoretical framework

In 2009, the Israeli population (7.55 million people) was made up of 74.5% Jewish, 20.3% Arab (Muslim, Christian or Druze) and 4.2% classified as ‘other’ (Breit and Wolff, 2012).

Furthermore, religious affiliation encompasses more than mere religious beliefs in Israel as it stretches out into the educational system, where segregation takes place as there are different schools for different religious groups (ibid.).

Breit and Wolff (2012) address the fact that there is a systemic difference in PISA and TIMMS performance when comparing Hebrew and Arab schools (ibid.). The Hebrew schools perform better than the national average and the nationwide exams show a significant better performance of Hebrew than Arab schools as well. Thus, the authors call Israel a “divided society with divided schools”.

There are hints of systemic differences within the group of teachers in existing research as well: Garra-Alloush et al. (2021) addressed the question of career choice motives among female Arab students of EFL (English as a foreign language) in Israel. The authors combined the affiliation to a religious group with career choice motives in Israel by using FIT choice (Watt and Richardson, 2007) as a theoretical framework.

The FIT- choice framework describes “factors influencing teaching as a career choice” (Watt and Richardson, 2007) and was validated first for Australian universities. It is based on the expectancy-value-model by Eccles et al. (2000) and differentiates between extrinsic and intrinsic higher-order factors. It has been widely used and validated in many countries, making it suitable to compare countries (Suryani et al., 2016). Suryani (ibid.) added in her Indonesian FIT-choice-study religious influences as an important factor to be considered (ibid, p. 180).

Helping early career teachers to develop professional competencies has been a central aim of developing a Multi-Provider Professional Practice Model in Rural/Regional Victoria, Australia. A component of this learning program sought to reassure teachers that they already possessed strong skills and that what they were experiencing in schools was normal for early career teachers. The shortage of teachers in rural and low socioeconomic schools (SES) in Victoria, Australia is a pressing issue affecting the quality of education.

The recent wave of teacher shortages exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic has put unprecedented pressure on schools and teachers with more teachers leaving the profession than ever before. It has been recognised that partnerships between universities, local communities and government can impact teacher education and recruitment and strengthening these partnerships provides a strong basis for improving rural student outcomes. Since many were the only early career teacher in their school, they had nothing to compare their experience to. Too often this made them feel isolated and unsure of their capabilities.

Our strengths-based mentoring approach sought to show early career teachers the benefits of interacting within communities of practice alongside peers at the same point in their career journey. This contrasted with other professional learning they had experienced, which they believed mostly provided generic teaching strategies or presenting methods to get the most from interactions with their more experienced mentors. For many participants, this professional learning provided a rare opportunity for them to connect with teachers at the same stage in their professional journey.

In many cases, teachers made it clear they found this experience transformational in terms of their perception of their professional identity. Not least because it showed they were not alone. Another key strength of the program was that it provided a space for participants to interact and discuss a key problem of practice they had been experiencing with their fellow early career teachers. These problems of practice were generated by the teachers themselves.

The teachers were asked to engage with the problem and explore the motives, influences, and perspectives that enable and constrain early career teachers' capacities. Teachers noted the commonalities encountered by early career teachers in rural schools around relationships, community, social justice, resources and well-being. Many pointed out that they felt uncomfortable raising these concerns with staff at their schools, as it might highlight their lack of experience and skills.

As such, the exercise highlighted the benefits of a community of practice by the experience itself. This community of practice engaged with the experiences, constraints and enablers that contributed to understanding the unique circumstances faced by teachers in these remote settings, specifically in the development of capable teachers who could sustain working in rural and low SES schools, addressing the critical issue of teacher shortages in these areas.

Curriculum coherence as a process

Internationally, there is a movement toward more stringent accountability demands concerning the quality of teacher education (Hökkä et al., 2019; Murray et al., 2019), which is one of the reasons teacher education programs need useful frameworks to examine the quality of the learning experiences they provide (Hammerness & Klette, 2015). One way to approach the quality of teacher education programs is through the concept of curriculum coherence, which refers to the extent to which the various components within the teacher education curriculum are aligned (Hammerness, 2006). Herein, the curriculum is not reduced to the list of program courses. It includes the full range of aims, content, activities, and organizational aspects that are embedded within the educational program (Walker & Soltis, 1997).

A term that is very closely related to coherence is ‘alignment’. Derived from the definition of Canrinus and colleagues (2017), teacher education programs should address three types of alignment to be considered coherent: (1) alignment between courses and the program’s vision, (2) mutual alignment between courses, and (3) alignment between courses and field experiences of student-teachers. These types of alignment should not be regarded as ‘a fixed end-stage of curriculum development’, as curriculum coherence should be approached as a complex process of collaboration, compromise, and intense social interaction between faculty members (Cavanna et al., 2021; Richmond et al., 2019). This interpretation implies that alignment is not a finite process, but instead an ongoing one that requires consistent maintenance and sustained efforts from the team of teacher educators.

The potential role of program leaders

Together with a focus on the process-oriented and social nature of coherence in teacher education, there is an increasing recognition of the potential role of program leaders in striving for more curriculum coherence (Cavanna et al., 2021). This is not surprising, given that coherence seems to be situated in processes of collaboration and interaction and previous research has already demonstrated the importance of leadership in fostering these processes (e.g., Branson et al., 2016). Berdrow (2010), for example, states that developing and maintaining productive information flow and relationships between people in the department is one of the requisite skills of department chairs. Branson and colleagues (2016) even consider the pursuit of a deeper sense of relational connection and interdependence throughout the organization to be the most important leadership skill.

A closer examination of the literature regarding leadership in higher education reveals further connections with literature concerning coherence in teacher education. For example, Bryman (2007) found that having a ‘clear sense of direction/strategic vision’ has consistently been found to be an effective leadership quality in higher education. Interestingly, having a ‘clear vision of teaching and learning’ and ‘explicitly aiming for curriculum coherence’ are considered to be important for fostering curriculum coherence (Canrinus et al., 2019; Hammerness & Klette, 2015). In total, Bryman (2007) identified 13 forms of effective leadership behavior in higher education and at least four of these are conceptually connected to coherence in teacher education: (1) having a clear sense of direction/strategic vision, (2) preparing department arrangements to facilitate the direction set, (3) communicating well about the direction the department is going, and (4) creating a positive/collegial work atmosphere in the department (Cavanna et al., 2021; Hermansen, 2020).

Despite the recognition of the potential importance of leadership for curriculum coherence in teacher education, little is known about how program leaders aim to address curriculum coherence in practice (Cavanna et al., 2021; Hermansen, 2020). Therefore, this study considers the following research question: ‘How do program leaders in (secondary) teacher education foster curriculum coherence?’

Globally, teachers have increasingly been recognised as the most important in-school influence on student outcomes (Hattie & Yates, 2014; Rockoff, 2004). Correspondingly, governments worldwide have made concerted efforts to ensure the quality of teachers, with a particular focus on initial teacher education (ITE) (Mayer, 2021). Mirroring changes to ITE in UK, reforms in Australia focus primarily on regulation and standardisation rather than pursuing innovations or interventions to enhance the quality of ITE programs. These efforts have included greater prescription of course content, new teacher accreditation schemes, new minimum literacy and numeracy standards, and new ‘classroom readiness’ assessments for graduating teachers (Rowe & Skourdoumbis, 2019).

ITE curricula are now more crowded and fragmented than ever before, making it hard for students to integrate theory with practice (Dyment et al., 2015). Indeed, some of the greatest challenges in ITE include program coherence, student confidence to enter the workforce, and feeling prepared to enter the classroom (Willis et al., 2022). Within this context, there is an opportunity to improve ITE through interventions that support and empower students as they transition into early career teaching. One such intervention is the Quality Teaching (QT) model (NSW Department of Education, 2003). This model of pedagogy has been used in Australia for the past 20 years, however has not been systematically applied in ITE. Derived from the work of Authentic Pedagogy (Newmann et al., 1996) and Productive Pedagogies (Lingard et al., 2003), the model has the potential to support, empower and build the confidence of ITE students as they transition into the teaching workforce. The QT Model provides a shared language and set of concepts that teacher educators can use to underpin and articulate what constitutes quality teaching for their students. Linking theory to practice, the QT Model provides a means to connect theoretical content and the rigorous practical needs of teaching. It is applicable across multiple disciplines and has the adaptability to accommodate diverse teaching situations. The model highlights three dimensions of pedagogy:

1. Intellectual Quality - pedagogy focused on deep understanding of important ideas.
2. Quality Learning Environment - pedagogy that creates productive classrooms focused on learning.
3. Significance - pedagogy that helps students see value in what they are learning.

Teaching that aligns with this model has consistently been linked to improved outcomes for teachers and students (Gore et al., 2017, 2021). Used in Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) professional development (Bowe & Gore, 2017), the model has demonstrably empowered and built the confidence and efficacy of beginning teachers (Gore & Bowe, 2015). We hypothesised that it could help build the confidence of ITE students in ways that positively impact completion rates and the quality of graduates.

In this paper, we explore a potential missed opportunity amid the plethora of ITE reforms – an intervention that has the ability to enhance the quality and coherence of ITE programs while providing students with the confidence to transition into early career teaching. To explore the impact of such an approach, we conducted a pilot study designed to increase final year ITE students’ understanding of quality teaching and address its impact on their classroom practice.

If we metaphorically think of the school as a social and political hologram, the educational space can be seen as a reconstruction of society through the information that each school agent embodies, knows and generates (Dewey, 1938, Garcés, 2013). This idea warns us that we cannot continue to develop educational processes that do not take into account what happens outside the educational space and in turn indicates that the classroom can be a space to promote the construction of individual and collective meanings to contribute to a critical and inclusive society (Hargreaves and O'Connor, 2020). Accordingly, the focus of this communication is on the collaborative networks that are generated between schools and universities as centres of teacher education. The project is based on an assumption legitimised by different research (Penuel, et,al.,2020, Martín Barbero, 2003; Rivas, Márquez, Calvo and Martagón, 2022; Novoa, 2019) which states that the creation and development of collaborative work networks between school and university are facilitators of processes in which training, research and transfer are articulated, while at the same time allowing for the development of transformative educational actions.

In the search for connections between school, society and university, we have been developing different collaborative projects (Leite, Márquez and Rivas, 2018; Rivas Leite and Cortés, Garcia; 2015; Márquez, Kirsch and Leite, 2020) that seek to advance in other teacher training and in the generation of links, relationships and co-productions between them. From the University we have the responsibility, as teachers and researchers, to explore and promote other training models that include dialogical and collaborative practices in which fragmentation is not the dominant line. Instead, we propose that knowledge can be generated from a collaborative process.

From these previous experiences we present the first advances of a research project called "Collaborative networks in education. Critical teaching for an inclusive society (ReDoC)" awarded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain (PID2022-138882OB-100). This project aims to recognise, analyse, strengthen and create collaborative networks between school and university. We are interested in transformative projects linked to critical teaching for the development of an inclusive society. In this sense, we analyse initiatives that articulate the dialogue of disciplinary, practical and experiential knowledge between professionals in schools (infant, primary, secondary and adult), entities and associations that collaborate with schools, research professionals, teachers in training and all those experiences that configure spaces, collaborative networks around training and school.

It also analyses the experiences of different groups that contribute to education in urban and rural contexts. The project is deployed in different universities in Spain (Granada, Cantabria, Extremadura, Valladolid and Malaga). The idea is to contribute, through analysis and reflection, to teacher training and the promotion of inclusive projects in educational centres with the support of the community . Service learning programmes, learning communities, pedagogical laboratories, observatories, etc., are some of the proposals that are being worked on and which will be further developed (Gao, 2015; Korthagen, 2017; Rivas, Márquez and Leite, 2021) We understand that these projects offer trainee teachers a real experience in inclusive education by interacting with teachers, students, families and the community in general (Yurén, 2013; Rivas, Leite and Cortés, 2017).

This research investigates the manifestation of basic psychological needs in student metaphors related to school and learning. The study is grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which identifies autonomy, competence, and relatedness as essential for psychological development and well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2000). The satisfaction of these needs forms the basis of how students sense their well-being in the school environment and learning and correspondingly, what their school experience is going to be like (Buzzai et al., 2021). Student well-being is a strategic goal in the Estonian educational policy (Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, 2020) and different state-wide student surveys are carried out. However, student school experience and making sense of it, is much more complex than state-wide surveys reveal. In order to better understand student school experiences and satisfaction in the school environment, it is necessary to understand how students see school and learning.

One possibility in researching student attitude towards school and learning is to analyze student metaphors about school and learning. Often, student attitude toward school are studied explicitly by asking questions about school satisfaction (Lutsoja, 2022). However, student attitude on the thinking level might be automated and subconscious, which means that their understanding about school and learning might not be revealed through explicit questioning, but student implicit attitude must be studied as well (Tian et al., 2010).

Metaphors can provide a viable solution for this purpose. As wording a metaphor requires a student to really think about the different concepts, the metaphor itself might reveal a deeper understanding of the topic. Metaphors are used more and more in studying student attitudes (Radmard et al., 2022; Demir, 2007; Lahelma, 2002).

The study's significance lies in its novel approach to understanding students' school experiences and well-being by analyzing metaphors. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of metaphor analysis in understanding beliefs and meanings in education (Lakoff & Johnson, 2011). However, the exploration of student metaphors about school and learning, particularly in the context of psychological basic needs satisfaction, remains largely unexamined. This research aims to fill this gap by determining if and how the analysis of metaphors can give an understanding to students' psychological basic needs satisfaction or frustration.

The study addresses two primary research questions:

1. How are psychological basic needs manifested in metaphors about school and learning?

2. To what extent do these metaphors reflect the satisfaction of basic psychological needs across different school levels?

This proposal presents the results of a three-year European comparative research project focussing on the rise, influence, and impact of populism on young people in Europe. The research explored intricate relationships between populism and education in four countries in Europe: the Republic of North Macedonia, the United Kingdom, Greece, and Ireland. The study, was conducted as part of the CitEdEv (Citizenship Education in the Context of European Values) research initiative supported by the EU’s Erasmus+ Jean Monet Network. The research aimed to investigate the complex and multifaceted nature of populism and its impact on educational landscapes, societal dynamics, and democratic values across European nations, both within and outside of the European Union. The research project sought to make EU citizenship education relevant to a context in which many children and young people are increasingly anxious and concerned about their futures in the face of populism, xenophobia, divisive nationalism, discrimination, fake news and misinformation, and the rise of right-wing politics in Europe, as well as the challenge of radicalisation.

The research anticipates highlighting the adaptability of populist narratives to diverse value systems, the challenges faced by educators in navigating complex landscapes, and the necessity for ongoing investigation and research. Additionally, the study will produce a casebook for educators which emphasises the pivotal role of education in addressing populist challenges, urging more explicit incorporation of populist themes into the curriculum (both formal and informal) to equip students with critical thinking skills, digital literacy, and skills required to interrogate knowledge and facts.

Abstract

Team teaching at the workplace holds promise for (re)creating strong professional identities among student teachers in teacher education. The current study explores the mediating impact of both the advantages and disadvantages of (team) teaching on crucial components of student teachers’ professional identity, specifically those previously identified as influenced or significantly impacted by team teaching in empirical research: learning and regulation activities, reflective thinking, and motivation. A cohort of 464 student teachers was randomly assigned to one of three student teaching formats: team teaching (A1 _intervention), team teaching with support (A2 _intervention), and traditional teaching (C_{ontrol intervention}). Results of Bayesian structural equation modeling show that certain dimensions of these components were indirectly influenced or significantly impacted by interventions, mainly through the disadvantages and exceptionally through the advantages of (team) teaching. This finding highlights the intricate interplay between team teaching practices and perceptions in the (re)creation of student teachers’ professional identity.

Introduction

Creating strong professional identities in student teachers is a crucial aspect of teacher education (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2010). A solid teacher identity not only supports them during their education, but also sustains them in their future profession (Timoštšuk & Ugate, 2010). Professional identity, defined as dynamic and multidimensional, encompasses the perceptions, meanings, images, and self-knowledge that student teachers have of themselves (Rodrigues & Mogarro, 2019). It is socially (re)created through interactions with education professionals, such as teacher educators, peers, and mentors (Dikiltas & Bahrami, 2022). Moreover, team teaching (with a mentor) as a collaborative student teaching format may facilitate this social process in (re)creating a professional identity (Aliakbari & Valizadeh, 2023; De Backer et al., 2023b).

The findings presented by De Backer et al. (2023b) emphasize the significant impact of team teaching, especially when complemented with extended support, on key components of student teachers’ professional identity, particularly observed in learning and regulation activities (Endedijk et al., 2020), reflective thinking (Kember et al., 2000), and motivation (Vansteenkiste et al., 2009). While team teaching holds promise for learning to teach, acknowledging both its advantages and disadvantages from the perspective of participating student teachers is important (Baeten and Simons, 2014; De Backer et al., 2021). It is prevalent that student teachers hold different personal beliefs, resulting in varying perceptions regarding team teaching (De Backer et al. 2023a). These perceptions might influence student teachers’ outcomes and thus the overall effectiveness of team teaching (Ronfeldt et al., 2015; Saunders et al., 2009). The central research question guiding this study is: To what extent does team teaching or team teaching with support indirectly impact student teachers’ professional identity related to their learning and regulation activities (RQa), reflective thinking (RQb), and motivation (RQc) through the advantages or disadvantages of (team) teaching?

Historically, teaching has been regarded as a social elevator, offering upward mobility for individuals from non-academic households (e.g., for Sweden, Calander et al., 2003). Among ongoing arguments whether teaching may still hold such potential, there is limited knowledge regarding the relationship between academic background and other personal factors of future teachers, such as their career choice motives.

This connection holds significance on several levels. Many countries face teacher shortages, so understanding the motivation of first-generation students is crucial for increasing the number of future teachers. On an individual level, career choices are decisions made under uncertainty, particularly when exploring options distinct from those personally known, e.g. due to parents’ occupations (Gottfredson, 2005). This uncertainty, coupled with the aspirations tied to upward mobility, may be more pronounced for first-generation students, hence the importance to acknowledge and explore their distinct motivational patterns.

The potential of teaching for upward mobility can be linked to a number of factors. First, teaching is a visible academic career: Gottfredson (2005) argues that to choose a career, one has to have this specific occupation within their cognitive map of occupations. For most occupations, this depends on the context a person lives in, but teaching is an profession that can be found on nearly everybody’s occupational map.

The second factor is accessibility. Historically, teachers did not need to study at an expensive university – at least for elementary school teachers – as teacher training could be done at less expensive teacher’s colleges (for Switzerland e.g. Schohaus, 1954). Similarly, the social valuation is not seen as prohibitively high. High status might make a profession seem “too difficult for [students] to enter with reasonable effort or […] pose too high a risk of failure if they try” (Gottfredson, 2005, p. 79). Whether the potential for upward mobility can be used is dependent on personal factors. In a study of educational trajectories of German students whose parents have low educational degrees, Legewie (2021) identifies four personal network factors leading to upward mobility or non-mobility: support with academic efforts, encouragement, support with solving problems, and role models.

The career choice of teachers can be assessed using FIT-Choice, an internationally established framework that assesses perceptions about the teaching profession (e.g. social status and salary of teachers) and motives for choosing the profession (e.g. intrinsic motivation, subject centered motivation, Richardson & Watt, 2006, 2016). Career choice motives are known to differ between countries (Richardson & Watt, 2016) as structural conditions influencing career choice, While a FIT-Choice study has already been conducted in Germany (König & Rothland, 2012), data on South Africa is limited (du Preez, 2018).

Thus, both career choice and social mobility might look different in a developing country like South Africa which can also be compared to a industrialised Western society which produce most of the literature about teacher’s career choice. This imbalance calls for collaborative, comparative studies that include countries from the Global South. For South Africa, for example, social mobility seems to depend heavily on parents’ educational background (OECD, 2018).

Therefore, this research paper utilizes data from an international project for a comparative analysis of students from Germany and South Africa with respect to the occupational backgrounds of their parents. The study aims to address three main questions:

1. Are there differences in the parents’ educational background of teaching students from Germany and South Africa or regarding sociodemographic variables (gender, age)?
2. Do the career choice motivations of students and their perceptions about the teaching profession differ between Germany and South Africa?
3. Are there differences in career choice motivations and perceptions about the teaching profession based on the parents’ educational background?

Existing studies have demonstrated the critical roles of either formal or informal learning in bolstering teachers’ professional performance, personal welfare, and the resultant student outcomes (Kyndt et al., 2016). However, most current studies address these two constructs separately, rendering the relationship between them ambiguous, which has caused a biased understanding of workplace learning (Kyndt et al., 2016). To bridge this gap, we integrated self-determination theory (SDT) and job redesign theory to explore the influencing mechanisms of formal learning on informal learning.

Teachers’ formal learning refers to experiences derived from school-organized/endorsed or institutionally sponsored learning programs aimed at fostering their professional development (Feiman-Nemser, 2012). Their informal learning means teachers’ self-initiated learning behavior aimed at addressing their professional development needs (Kyndt et al., 2016) or resolving work-related issues (Hoekstra and Korthagen, 2011). Informal learning activities can be categorized into five types consisting of four types of interactive learning activities, including learning through media, colleague interaction, stakeholder interaction, and student interaction, and the fifth type is reflecting on practice (Huang et al., 2020). The overall impact of formal learning on informal learning has been theoretically and empirically confirmed (Choi and Jacobs, 2011). Individuals with more formal education and training experience have been found to devote more time to self-directed learning activities and engage in more informal learning activities (Rowden, 2002). Therefore, we postulated that teacher perceived formal learning would positively influence teachers’ five types of informal learning activity.

The critical role of basic need satisfaction to informal learning is firstly supported by the self-determination theory (SDT). SDT posits that there are three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. SDT asserts that individuals with basic need satisfaction will exhibit a high level of autonomous motivation and initiate more learning activities (Deci et al., 2017). SDT also proposes that the workplace context, including provided formal learning opportunities, is pivotal in influencing individuals' basic need satisfaction (Deci et al., 2017). While few studies have directly explored the relationship between teachers' formal learning and basic need satisfaction, indirect evidence suggests that teacher-perceived formal learning opportunities can fulfill their three basic needs by augmenting teachers' knowledge, skills (Richter et al., 2014), autonomy (Castle, 2004), and perceived relatedness (Barrable and Lakin, 2020). we posit that teachers’ basic need satisfaction mediates the impact of perceived formal learning on different types of informal learning activity.

The job redesign theory has emphasised the crucial role of individuals’ job redesign behaviour, especially challenge seeking behaviour, in their learning behaviour and working performance (Zhang and Parker, 2019). Individuals who are seeking challenges such as new skills acquisition or innovative practice generation will have a high level of informal learning motivation and engage in different types of informal learning activity (Lazazzara et al., 2020). Moreover, formal learning can enhance individuals’ self-efficacy and augment their professional knowledge and skills (Richter et al., 2014). Consequently, individuals with boosted confidence and perceived control of working are more inclined to seek additional challenges, such as undertaking more tasks or responsibilities. Drawing from the literature, we believe that teachers’ challenge seeking behaviour mediates the impact of teacher-perceived formal learning on their different types of informal learning activity. Given that individuals’ challenge seeking behaviour largely depends on their autonomous motivation (Lazazzara et al., 2020), we posited that teachers’ challenge seeking behaviour serves as a sequential mediator between their formal and informal learning.

The integration of refugee children at school is a central task in the context of forced migration. Continuous schooling prevents disruptions in the educational biography of pupils and increases the chances of a self-determined educational and professional path (cf. Herrera & Byndas 2023) but the question of how refugee children should be educated has not yet been answered and is often heatedly debated, often leaving teachers behind feeling overwhelmed or helpless (cf. Mecheril 2008). Solutions must therefore be sought both at the macro level of the education and school system and at the micro level, in the education and training of teachers.

There are several reasons for the structural ineptitude, including the respective national education system. Germany, for example, has a comparatively long history of (forced) migration; nevertheless, the educational approaches towards school integration are heterogeneous - not least within the framework of German educational federalism (cf. Mützelburg/Krawatzek 2023). In comparison, the level of experience in Poland and Hungary is lower; socio-political discourses and attitudes towards (forced) migration also vary. Also, the schooling of refugees is often only considered from the national perspective of the host country only, without taking into account interim stays or the option of pupils returning to their home country.

In this panel we present the results of our international working group EMCE (Education & Migration in Central Europe) on the design of a transnational course for teachers in practice on the topic of school integration of refugees. The course design aims to equip them with professional knowledge, especially in the areas of subject knowledge, pedagogical and didactic knowledge (cf. Terhart 2011). The modules include, for example, information on legal frameworks or national school systems as well as topics such as multilingualism and language sensitive teaching (cf. Dirim 2018) or trauma and resilience (cf. NHS Scotland, 2023). The overall course design is based on two EU guidelines: lifelong learning and the idea of a Euopean study path (cf. EU council conclusions on European Education Area).

Our methodology integrates Desk Research Varia (DRv), In-depth Interviews Varia (IDIv), and Focus Group Discussions Varia (FGDv) with teachers. We analyze migration policies and educational practices, conducting interviews and group discussions to delve into teachers' experiences and perspectives. Data coding allows for systematic analysis and synthesis of findings.

Our discoveries lead to the development of pedagogical course foundations, addressing both educational challenges and pedagogical solutions.

The task of preparing future teachers for diversity, equity and social justice is a challenging and complex task (Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2005; Milner, 2010; Lucas et al., 2008). It is a task that Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programs continually strive for, but researchers often conclude that programs are not doing enough (e.g., Magogwe & Ketsitlile, 2015; Thomassen & Munthe, 2021). Our goal is that this review will be of help to teacher educators when developing future programs and interventions by providing a knowledge base of what ITE programs already do and what results they have achieved. We will also shed light on the various theoretical perspectives used when designing and discussing interventions (including courses).

Previous reviews on multicultural and anti-racist education in ITE have highlighted varying conceptualizations and methodological shortcomings in the existing studies, leading to inconclusive findings. They also highlighted the need for research to dig deeper to enhance our knowledge of how ITE can contribute to teaching for diversity, for social equity, and to address the emotional aspects of prejudice and racism. The current review is an attempt to dig deeper into the strategies used when attempting to prepare teacher candidates to work with diverse students in diverse contexts especially in the field of prejudice prevention and racism. Our study aims to analyze strategies, implementation approaches, and what they intend to achieve (intended or non-intended learning outcomes).

While our review has a broad focus encompassing multiculturalism, diversity education, prejudice, and social justice, there is an underlying connection with prior reviews like Hambacher and Ginn (2021) and Solano-Compas et al. (2020). This review acknowledges both the importance of challenging established beliefs and addressing race-related issues, aligning with the themes of awareness and discomfort; and also focusing on both pedagogical strategies aiming to modify beliefs, knowledge, and skills, aligning with the themes of orientations and pedagogical knowledge and skills, in a wider context. We aspire to contribute to the understanding of this domain, with implications for future research, policy, and practice in ITE.

In this review, we limited our focus to interventions within ITE that aim to prepare future teachers for work on discrimination, racism, and prejudices in school. More specifically, we will investigate the following research questions:

1) What are the main characteristics of the studies?

2) What are the main characteristics of the interventions (type – aim – duration – consequences)?

3) What similarities or differences are there in the studies’ educational approaches in terms of what they aimed at versus what they achieved?

In the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world (“VUCA world”); in which we live (Tichnor-Wagner et al., 2019), the movement of diverse cultural, ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups has raised important and complex questions about citizenship, human rights, democracy and education (Banks, 2011). In this context, global citizenship education (GCE) has gained prominence not only in educational discourse (Davy, 2011; Goren & Yemin, 2016; Gaudelli, 2016; Pasby et al., 2020), but also in the agenda of several international organisations such as Oxfam and UNESCO, seeking to address key social issues of social justice, human rights, inequalities, discrimination and humanitarian and environmental crises. Linked to sustainable development (Agenda 2030), GCE is a transformative pedagogy that aims to empower individuals to understand, imagine and act in favour of a world with social and climate justice, peace, solidarity, equity, sustainability and international understanding (GENE, 2022). Based on a sense of belonging to a common humanity, it aims to contribute to building more just, inclusive and peaceful societies (UNESCO, 2018). Therefore, GCE stands out for its potential to contribute to a transformational and social justice agenda (Shultz, 2007; Tarozzi &Torres, 2016). However, the way in which GCE is materialised in curricula, school and teacher practices still requires attention and reflection (UNESCO, 2013). Although it is recognised that European universities play an important role in promoting GCE through teacher education programmes (GENE, 2017), teacher education practices in this field remain under-explored (Tarozzi & Mallon, 2019). Indeed, the way in which teacher education programmes are addressing GCE and social justice (SJ) in the preparation of future teachers (Cochran-Smith, 2020; Tarozzi & Mallon, 2019), alongside teacher educator’s professional development in this scope, is a scholarly concern (Mairi et al., 2023).

This background reinforces our intention to understand how a public higher education institution in Portugal is developing a pre-service primary school teacher’s education for social justice and global citizenship. Bearing in mind that teacher educators play a key role in education (Cochran-Smith, 2003; Goodwin & Kosnik, 2013), by directly influencing the quality of student teachers’ preparation and, more indirectly, the learning outcomes of children and young people (Ping, Schellings & Beijard, 2018), it is paramount to investigate teacher educator’s understanding and teaching practices as regards education for global citizenship and social justice.

This current paper presentation, which is part of an ongoing doctoral research project (SFH/BD/04942.2020), is based on the following research questions:

a) How do teacher educators understand GCE and SJ?;

b) What importance do they attach to the development of a GCE and SJ in pre-service teacher education programmes?;

c) How are the curricular units/courses they teach contributing to such development?

d) What factors do participants identify as facilitating or inhibiting the promotion of GCE and SJ in the preparation of pre-service teachers?

Increasingly wider income inequalities have caused severe educational disparities among students with different socioeconomic statuses. To address the problem, solutions have been suggested from perspectives such as school-level organization, student health, living conditions and so on. In this research, we focus on an emerging concept of preservice teachers' competence—equity-oriented teaching competence which can be understood as preservice teachers’ teaching beliefs, skills and practices that foreground equity and social justice (Blömeke et al., 2015; Cochran-Smith et al., 2016). Research has demonstrated the importance of preservice teachers’ equity-oriented teaching competence in promoting educational equity for socially minoritized students (e.g., Chubbuck, 2010; Gorski, 2017). Moreover, studies have shown the crucial role of initial teacher education in shaping preservice teachers’ teaching competence (e.g., Cochran‐Smith, 2010; Milner, 2010). However, most research regarding preservice teachers’ teaching competence and initial teacher education is conducted in Western contexts, which leaves the East, especially China, largely unexplored (for reviews, Liao et al., 2022; Liu et al., 2020).

This research aims to bridge the gap between the East and West by conducting a systematic literature review of how initial teacher education prepares preservice teachers to engage with equity and social justice-related issues in China. More specifically, as equity and social justice are political topics situated in different social contexts (Dyches & Boyd, 2017), we first identified those concepts' understanding in Chinese scholarship. Secondly, we intended to grasp an overview of the empirical research trend of educational equity in teacher education in China. In other words, rather than following a specific theoretical framework to analyze selected empirical research articles, we want to know the research foci, design and findings of equity-related issues in teacher education studies in China. Therefore, the research questions that drive this study are as follows:

1) what is the understanding of equity and social justice in teacher education in the Chinese scholarship?

2) how does initial teacher education prepare preservice teachers to engage with equity-related issues in China?

The objectives of this research lie in two aspects. First, it aims to recommend research gaps for future teacher education studies in China. Second, it is expected to provide implications for education policymakers and teacher training programs.