Abstract
This paper analyzes the effects of internationalization seen through the Erasmus program in teacher education programs. The study's importance is that teacher training is generally funded for local environments by state systems; subsequently teacher candidates have less opportunity for global curricula. One of Turkey's most vital tools for internationalization is the Erasmus exchange program. Thus, this study focuses on interviews with teacher candidates having international exchange experience and teacher educators involved as program coordinators in their own education faculties. Twelve participants from different teacher training areas at diverse universities were interviewed. The research findings reveal that students' social and cultural skills developed more than their academic competencies and professional teaching skills. Although the program makes an essential contribution to internationalization on both individual and institutional bases; we reveal that course selection problems, difficulties in academic recognition processes, foreign language problems, and the lack of possibility of taking the practicum course abroad have adverse effects on the process. This research addresses knowledge gaps in internationalization policy as teacher candidates, and teacher educators' voices are not heard in such initiatives. The study suggests that education faculties need solid foundations for internationalization efforts.
Highlights
Various academic environments have discussed the need for internationalization in teacher education and its positive effects on teacher candidates (Abraham & von Brömssen, 2018; Acedo, 2012; Garii, 2008; Quezada, 2010; Sieber & Mantel, 2012)
We investigated the Erasmus program‟s contribution to the internationalization of teacher education curricula and the problems experienced in this process through interviews with the coordinators
Codes Impact on lifelong international learning Improving the quality of national standards before the international process Ensuring course load and ECTS credit system No improvement in teaching skills of teacher candidates Lack of field study due to course non-availability Lengthy procedures of the Erasmus program Problems of English language level in the country of destination. These findings reveal that the Erasmus program contributes to the internationalization of teacher education
Summary
Various academic environments have discussed the need for internationalization in teacher education and its positive effects on teacher candidates (Abraham & von Brömssen, 2018; Acedo, 2012; Garii, 2008; Quezada, 2010; Sieber & Mantel, 2012). The positive effects of this internationalization are primarily stated in the literature as enabling teacher candidates intercultural development and their adaptation to this situation in their future lives as teachers, development of the ability to cope with complex situations, global open-mindedness, intellectual growth, and personal development (Mahon, 2010; Walters, Garii, & Walters, 2009) Despite these positive effects of internationalization taken into consideration, the education systems and implementations, including teacher training, are administered, organized, and financed by the state (Olmos & Torres, 2009). 1739, the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) uses the following expressions: “Teaching is a specialized profession, which assumes the duties of state education and the administration of these” (MoNE, 2011) From this viewpoint, teacher training is an institutional process for reproducing national education systems.
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