The term “lifelong learning” is very popular among policy-makers who often use it to accompany or to justify their reforms (Bologna process, universitarisation of teacher education, etc). At the same time, some researchers have shown that the practicians often explain their innovations in teacher education and training as a part of lifelong learning strategies (F. Cros, 2005). This paper will try to interpret this concept and then to analyse the evolution of French and Ukrainian teacher training during the last ten years. This communication presents the results of the doctoral research that was carried out according to the two main perspectives: theoretical and comparative. The first one uses the recent scientific research progress in order to elaborate a framework for understanding the teacher education and training, stressing the role of integrative and holistic approaches. The second perspective proposes a study of two countries with quite opposite political and social evolution as well as educational models (a simultaneous pre-service model for Ukraine and a consecutive one for France, existence of in-service training institutes with obligation for teacher to master their competences in Ukraine and non-obligatory in-service training piloted by the institutes of pre-service training in France). Even if the two countries have different bases and even if the policies actually carried out are different (introduction of the induction period in France, decentralisation and innovation of the in-service training system in Ukraine), the thesis illustrates the convergences in “problems” encountered by the actors: construction of continuing professional development, response to new teacher demands, quality of teacher educators training, transportation of scientific knowledge. My objective would be to complete these findings by defending the importance of the concept of lifelong learning beyond its political instrumentalisation. After a short summary of the main ideas of my theoretical framework for understanding the teacher training, I will show the examples of recent changes in France and in Ukraine that could be interpreted as lifelong learning strategies. .

I will conclude with some criticism of teacher training policies in two countries that do not integrate the idea of teacher empowerment considered as the main condition for positive educational changes (Korthagen, 2001).