ITE-PractiMent (Initial Teacher Education - Practicum and Mentorship)

ITE-PractiMent

What did this initiative focus on?

Most European countries are currently committed to the reform of their public education systems. Although the objectives that motivate such reforms are shaped by the specificity of the national contexts, it is possible to envisage which are their main standpoints: 1) the adjustment of the competences frameworks in order to respond to the challenges of technology, economic development, sustainability and democratic culture; 2) the need to prepare citizens for the uncertainty and unpredictability of the labour market, thus valuing lifelong learning; 3) the need to promote inclusive education as part of a wider movement intended to tackle inequality and early school leaving and high dropout rates.

At school level, the success of such policies depends on the commitment of teachers, whose knowledge and skills must be submitted to a continuous process of reflection and improvement. A process that should be activated during ITE programmes and has to be widened throughout the career, in order to support teachers’ identity and professional development. The project's innovative approach emerges from the deepening of the interrelations between ITE and CPD programmes, as well as the reflection on the process through which teachers build their pedagogical knowledge within the school and classroom ecosystem.