Comparison of teacher training systems

The variety of European teacher training systems is clearly shown by the tables below, where only the five project’s partner countries are compared. Due to different educational traditions, cultures and societies, this variety makes it hard to come up with a reasonably fair proposal for a single European teacher training system.

The tables below are therefore meant to be a tool for reflection, to be used by educators and policy makers at both national and European level. Nevertheless, as regards lower secondary school teacher training in mathematics, these tables and, above all, the detailed description of the national educational teacher training systems allowed the Project Team to point out communalities and differences, and to get a general idea of both advantages and disadvantages of the examined systems. This sort of outcomes, together with ideas by stakeholders in the field of education will form the basis for a wider debate and possible future suggestions for changes at European level, in view of making teachers’ mobility throughout Europe really possible, at both administrative and professional level.

TEACHER TRAINING SYSTEMS
	Initial Degree	Age at entrance	Admission	Final Qualification		Years	Final Proof	Age at exit
	Initial Degree	Age at entrance	Admission	Teacher at	Teacher of	Years	Final Proof	Age at exit
CZ	UpSS	19	Budget	LoSS or LoSS and UpSS	Maths + 1 other subject	5	Exam	24
DK	UpSS	19	Open	Pr and LoSS	Maths + 3 other subjects	4	Exam	23
FR	Un (3 years)	21	Programmed	LoSS and UpSS	Maths	2	Contest	23
IT	Un (4-5 years)	23	Programmed	LoSS	Maths & Science	2	Exam	25
SK	UpSS	19	Budget	LoSS or LoSS and UpSS	Maths + 1 other subject	5	Exam	24

Teacher training systems comparison

KEY:
Pr Primary School                               LoSS    Lower Secondary School
UpSS Upper Secondary School                        Un       University
+     Students are trained to teach one or more additional subjects besides MATHS
&    Students are trained to teach just one subject: Maths and Sciences
Open        no restrictions
Budget      number of admittances determined according to the Universities budget
Programmed  number of admittances determined according to the foreseen future needs

TEACHER TRAINING STRUCTURES
	Years of Education	Year Subject area	Hours
CZ	5	1-2½ Basic Mathematics + Didactics/Pedagogy/Psychology 2½-3 Pedagogy/Psychology + Passive Practice 4-5 Basic Mathematics + Didactics of Mathematics, Active Practice^[1] (4 weeks)	1100 (BasMat+DidMat) + 560 (Ped/Psy + PasPra^[2])
DK	4	Basic Maths + Didactics of Maths + Didactics/Pedagogy/Psychology + Practice	(220à395) BasMat + DidMat + Did/Ped/Psy + (24 weeks) Pra
FR	2 - - - or - - - 4/5 Un + Public Contest (Agrégation) +1	1 Basic Mathematics – Public Contest (CAPES) 2 Didactics/Pedagogy/Psychology + Practice - - - or - - - 1 Didactics/Pedagogy/Psychology + Practice (at IUFM)	1 500 BasMat 2 216 Did/Ped/Psy + 216 Pra - - - or - - - 1 216 Did/Ped/Psy + 216 Pra
IT	2	1 Didactics/Pedagogy/Psychology + Basic Mathematics + Sciences + Passive Practice – Exams 2 Didactics/Pedagogy/Psychology + Basic Mathematics + Sciences + Active Practice – Final Report – Exams	1 100 Did/Ped/Psy + 90 BasMat + 140 Sci + 170 PasPra 2 100 Did/Ped/Psy + 60 BasMat + 110 Sci + 130 ActPra + 100 FinRep
SK	5	1-3 Didactics/Pedagogy/Psychology + Basic Mathematics + Subject 2 + Practice (only 6th sem, 2h/week, half passive + half Active) 4-5 Basic Mathematics + Other Subject 1+ Didactics of Mathematics + Other Subject2 + Active Practice (7th + 8th sem, 4h/week) + Continuous Practice (10th sem., 4 weeks)	481 Did/Ped/Psy + 988 BasMat + 988 Sub2 (this includes Didactics of both BasMat and Sub2) + 130 Pra (65 in each of BasMat and Sub2) + (4 weeks) ConPra for BasMat and Sub2

Teacher training structures comparison

Follow the links below to find detailed descriptions for each of the project's partner country:

¹ 2 weeks at Lower Secondary School, 2 weeks at Upper Secondary School; approximately the same number of hours for the second subject.

² Pedagogy/Psycology + Passsive Training + a set of courses (e.g. philosophy, sociology, languages, economy, political sciences, informatics etc.).