We are living in a time of very considerable change, globally, in the way that teachers are educated and trained. In many countries this change results from economic developments and rapidly altering relationships between schooling and the work-world. In others it is driven by ideas about social transformation. In this changing world, the education of young people continues to play a critical role. Central to this role is the work of the teacher and central to that is the process of teacher education.

Darling-Hammond and Lieberman (2012) have pointed to patterns in policy-action on teachers and teaching that emerged in many countries over the closing decades of the 20^th century. This policy-action seeks to move systems towards a technician-style preparation for teaching, one that often excludes meaningful contact with university and educational research linked to improving professional practice. They contrasted this with a professional formation that is university based, that is informed by research, that has a strong focus on developing the student-teacher's pedagogical knowledge and ability to apply that knowledge, and that includes a strong clinical component (Darling-Hammond and Lieberman, 2012). The study of different systems of teacher education in different countries where teacher educators work in different conditions and following different patterns helps us to understand the value of this expansive view (c.f.  MacBeath 2012, Fullan 2011, Sahlberg 2014, inter alia.)

This symposium brings together teacher educators from Germany, Russia and Ireland to present and share ongoing research into a number of challenges associated with the mediation of emerging models of university-led professional formation. These include navigating national prescriptions that can contest existing cultures of professionalisation and teacher education in unexpected ways. Valeeva and Garforov's contribution addresses new approaches to teacher professionalism in the context of the new Russian teacher professional standard and resulting changes in teacher education. Sokolova and Sergienko discuss potential shortcomings in teacher training that may diminish the resilience of young teachers and lessen the value they ascribe to their practice in professional and personal terms; again from a Russian perspective. Maschke and Stecher's paper discusses their research relating to how German universities use self-assessment tools to support decision processes of high school graduates intending to enter initial teacher education. Based on a biographical qualitative approach  (Maschke, 2013) they explore how the quantitative approach underlying most self-assessment tools is neglecting both the complex biographical situation the young candidates are in and the changing perceptions of the value of university and the life-hopes of the candidates. Galvin and McMorrough's paper considers the EU policy backdrop against which such new models of teacher formation emerge and are being developed. It addresses research into the changing ways this level of change is persuaded into national and regional settings. The contribution is largely framed around the question of what counts as “legitimate knowledge” (Apple, 2009) in the construction of teacher education discourse and the contrasting realities which dominate new practices at a broader public policy level. It  addresses aspects of a neo-liberally inspired ‘disruption’ agenda which is seen potentially to derail promising work ongoing in the reimagining the labour of teacher education in Ireland, and the institutional and legislative arrangements that are being installed to frame the 'delivery' of new model teacher education across the full continuum.

Together these contributions raise and address important questions about the governance of new model teacher education in Europe and beyond. They raise important questions concerning ongoing developments in European and Russian teacher education in terms of how new model professional practice is envisioned and produced, and particularly how it relates to the university in its new ‘21^st century’ guise.

Darling-Hammond, L and Lieberman, A (2012) Teacher Education Around the World: Changing Policies and Practice, Routledge: London. Froumin, I and Lisyutkin, M. (2015 ) Excellence-Driven Policies and Initiatives in the Context of Bologna Process: Rationale, Design, Implementation and Outcomes. In A. Curaj et al. (eds.), The European Higher Education Area, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-20877-0_17. Fullan, M. (2011) The Moral Imperative Realized. Corwin: Thousand Oaks, CA MacBeath, J. (2012) FUTURE OF TEACHING PROFESSION, Education International / The Learning Network: Cambridge, UK Maschke, S. (2013). Habitus unter Spannung - Bildungsmomente im Übergang: Eine Interview- und Fotoanalyse mit Lehramtsstudierenden. [Habitus under pressure - Transformative educational experiences during transitions: An analysis of interviews and photo self perfomances with students becoming a teacher] Edition Erziehungswissenschaft. Weinheim, Basel: Beltz Juventa. Sahlberg, P. (2014)(e2) Finnish Lessons 2.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? Teachers College Press: NY Valeeval, R.A and Demakova, I.D. (2015) Humanization of Education in the Context of Janusz Korczak’ Pedagogical Ideas. Canadian Center of Science and Education Review of European Studies; 7(4); 161-171