Topic/Objectives

Kosovo’s overall political intentions in joining the European family drove the country to harmonize its initial teacher education in line with European benchmarks and reference points, including special attention dedicated to improving quality in initial teacher education. However, a major problem characterizing the ongoing reforms is that initial teacher education institutions have not been engaged in a process of examining in-depth the education system (policy level) and contextual (cultural, values and belief level) governing variables vis-à-vis choices for undertaking such reforms. Consequently, (i) European policy transfers have been ad-hoc and inconsistent, stemming from the absence of an intentional and structured process, (ii) contextual variables failed to interact with the European values and practices, and (iii) the readiness and capacities of institutions to undergo reforms is called into question.

The main purpose of this paper is to examine how quality initial teacher education is manifested in Kosovo in the context of European initiatives for improving quality in initial teacher education.

The main research question: How is quality initial teacher education manifested in Kosovo in the context of European initiatives for improving quality teacher education?

The sub-questions:

-      How do local stakeholders conceptualize quality initial teacher education?

-      How have the European initiatives been accepted, interpreted, and implemented in light of developing quality initial teacher education in Kosovo?

-      In what ways do contextual factors influence quality initial teacher education in Kosovo?

Theoretical Framework

Advancing a culture of quality in higher education and teacher education is considered to coincide with top-down and grassroots involvement and implies a collective responsibility of different stakeholders (see also: Bendermacher et al., 2017). Initial teacher education institutions and stakeholders are required to coordinate efforts in producing a synthesis between “hard” aspects (i.e. drafting and implementing quality assurance and enhancement policies) and “soft” aspects (i.e. accounting for staff values, beliefs and commitment to implementing quality and enhancement practices) for achieving a quality culture in initial teacher education.

In Europe, efforts to achieve a culture of quality in initial teacher education are accompanied by various EU-led initiatives. The Council of the European Union (2014) has set high expectations for initial teacher education stakeholders, which expects them to improve the quality of initial teacher education in response to societal changes. Nation-sates and initial teacher education institutions have responded to such demands by engaging in different European initiatives, including: (1) the Bologna Process action lines, (2) Tuning project, (3) adopting European teacher competence frameworks, (4) contribute in ENTEP and TEPE networking, among others (see e.g., Gassner et al., 2010; Eisenschmidt & Löfström, 2011; Zgaga, 2013; Caena, 2014a, Hudson & Zgaga, 2017; Symeonidis, 2018). Here, a clear emphasis is placed in the process of connecting two comprehensive and significant European initiatives into a hybrid agenda: (1) Policy horizon (growing governmental and intergovernmental initiatives in the frame of policy transfer) and (2) Academic horizon (increasing the academic research and publications in the field of teacher education).

However, although Gassner et al. (2010) recognizes that “teacher education must have a special place in this newly-created European landscape” (p. 5), Zgaga (2013) claims that the Europeanization of teacher education is moving very slowly as compared to other study areas of higher education. According to Caena (2014a, 2014b), tensions arise at national level policy agenda, since in many nation-states, the interpretation and development of teacher education learning outcomes and competencies is dominated by national educational policies and priorities. In consequence, Hudson and Zgaga (2008) argue that “the turbulent processes in higher education at large and in the global context are bringing further challenges to teacher education as a specific area within higher education” (p. 38).

The study is situated within a qualitative research paradigm and involves an interpretive approach (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018). The study combined various instruments and data sources to conduct the study, including, (a) analysis of programme documents (n = 6), interviews with (b) management staff (n = 6, 15 interviews), and teacher educators (n = 15, 28 interviews), and open questionnaire and group interviews with (c) student-teachers (n = 303). The study included two public initial teacher education institutions in Kosovo, including Big urban – Capital and Small urban. The study was conducted in the period 2018/19 to 2019/20 academic years over three phases. The first phase of data collection focused on a more general component concerning (1) respondents understandings of quality initial teacher education. The second phase addressed respondents (2) perceptions on the acceptance, interpretation, and implementation of European initiatives to improve quality in initial teacher education. The third phase addressed the (3) contextual variables that influence understandings of quality initial teacher education, as well as indented to synthesise all three stages of data collection. From the extensive theoretical framework, we developed the analytical framework considering the three main dimensions relevant for examining the manifestation of quality initial teacher education at (i) institutional policy and practice dimension (organisational culture, management practices, institutional policy for quality assurance, cooperation with schools, etc.), (ii) teacher educator practice dimension (classroom practice, roles of teacher educators, disciplinary cultures, etc.), and (iii) programmes design and delivery dimension (development of student teacher skills, knowledge, and values, transversal and research skills, programme content, learning outcomes and their assessment, etc.). Data were analysed using thematic analysis. As Nowell et al. (2017) recommend, research questions have been used to guide the thematic analysis. The above-mentioned analytical framework served as a basis for data analysis. The thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phased method as a reflective process, including (1) familiarization with data, (2) generating initial codes, (3) searching for themes, (4) reviewing themes, (5) defining and naming themes, and (6) producing the report. ATLAS.TI qualitative software was used for organizing and analysing the text. The inductive coding approach identified several broad themes and sub-themes.

Findings support that Kosovo has undergone continuous education reform through European-lead initiatives in efforts to improve quality in initial teacher education. Unavoidably, local stakeholder contradictions and one-sided efforts in translating and implementing European initiatives for improving quality in teacher education have led to Kosovo initial teacher education remain isolated as a national concern. Our study shows tensions and contradictions at institutional, practice, and programme dimensions. At institutional dimension, we found tensions and contradictions between (i) external and internal quality assurance policy and practice, (ii) European, national and institutional quality teacher education policies, (iii) the Bologna-inspired and institutional structures, and (iv) classic administration culture and new management culture. At teacher educator practice dimension, we found tensions and contradictions between (i) Pedagogy and Subject discipline, (ii) teacher educator classroom approaches, strategies and methodologies, (iii) teacher educator professional development prospects, and (iv) functional and other roles of teacher educators. At programme design and delivery dimension, the following tensions and contradictions were identified between (i) compartmentalisation of knowledge, skills and values development in programmes, (ii) surface Europeanization and programmes implementation, and (iii) fragmented and integrated programming. We show that several contextual variables influence such tensions and contradictions, following (1) the changing role of initial teacher education, (2) missing organisational culture, (3) teacher educator tacit knowledge, and (4) lack of reform ownership and donor dependency. In order to better understand, tackle, and scaffold stakeholder tensions and contradictions, we recommend that initial teacher education context needs to be reconceptualised and treated as a borderless ecosystem. We introduce education context taciticity as a novice notion in efforts to theorize an extended context of initial teacher education that can recognise all possible tensions and contradictions for developing collective tacit knowledge towards a culture of quality in initial teacher education.

Bendermacher, G.W., Egbrink, M.G., Wolfhagen, I.H., & Dolmans, D.H. (2017). Unravelling quality culture in higher education: a realist review. Higher Education, 73(1), 39–60. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa Caena, F. (2014a). Comparative glocal perspectives on European teacher education. European Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), 106–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2013.845165 Caena, F. (2014b). Teacher competence frameworks in Europe: Policy-as-discourse and policy-as-practice. European Journal of Education, 49(3), 311–331. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12088 Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2018). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research. Sage Publications. Eisenschmidt, E., & Löfström, E. (eds.) (2011). Developing quality cultures in teacher education: Expanding horizons in relation to quality assurance. Tallin University. Gassner, O., Kerger, L., & Schratz, M. (2010). The first ten years after Bologna. Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti. Hudson, B., & Zgaga, P. (2008). Teacher education policy in Europe. A voice of higher education institutions. University of Umeå. Hudson, B., & Zgaga, P. (2017). History, context and overview: Implications for teacher education policy, practice and future research. In B. Hudson (Ed.), Overcoming fragmentation in teacher education policy and practice (pp. 1–25). Cambridge University Press. Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16, 1–13. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1609406917733847 Symeonidis, V. (2018). Revisiting the European teacher education area: The transformation of teacher education policies and practices in Europe. CEPS journal, 8(3), 13–34. Zgaga, P. (2013). The future of European teacher education in the heavy seas of higher education. Teacher Development, 17(3), 347–361.