Across Border Comparative Education

Is there a typical European teacher? What images do students starting their training to become teachers have of this ideal teacher? In a world of mobility, the European teacher of the future will have to deal with new issues linked to the digital dimension (Schratz, 2010). Back in 2013, the European Commission called on higher education institutions to promote “internationalisation at home” and digital learning (Impedovo, M., Symeonidis, V.: 2024) . Getting to know foreign education systems is more than just an exotic experience; it is a complex source of motivation, discovery and a wide range of ideas about teaching methods, the status of teachers, inclusion and contemporary concerns about the environment ….

The webinar presentation will focus on an experiment set up this year between the Pädagogische Hochschule Steiermark and the Inspé d’Aix Marseille Université via the eTwinning platform. The aim of the ACE (Across Border Education) project is to bring together students from the two institutes to work together on themes that are relevant to as many education systems as possible. The integration of eTwinning into initial teacher training should provide an opportunity to experience European and international openness and interculturality, to develop language skills, digital skills and professional skills such as project management, defining objectives and teamwork, and to reflect on the teaching profession and professional practices through exchanges between teachers from different education systems.