Schools are important in the formation of a democratic society and teachers play a crucial role in in enhancing basic democratic values as equity, equality and tolerance and in fostering diversity and inclusion. In a globalized world the student population in European schools is becoming increasingly diverse. As recurring studies show that teachers’ attitudes and skills matter in creating structures of inclusion and opportunity for all students there are strong reasons to train future teachers in intercultural perspectives and diversity (Milner 2013). One way to strengthen intercultural perspectives among students is through different form of internationalization activities. However previous reseach indicate less mobility and international exchange among student teachers compared to other groups (Hauschildt 2015) as well as limited internationals features in teacher education (Alexiadou et al 2021). One reason put forward for this is that teacher education is primarly educating for a national labour market (Egron Polak et al., 2015; Alexiadou et al 2021) which limits the focus on intercultural and international competencies. At the same time, as issues of diversity and inclusion are increasingly pressing the European educational systems, the need for intercultural competences among teachers in order to to train cultural competence and responsiveness to better address the needs of today's diverse student populations is more important then ever (Banks 2021). Previous reseach indicates a number of obstacels for the lack of internationalization in teacher education (Hauschildt 2015), but provide less knowledge about how student teachers perceive their future work in relation to intercultural values and increasingly globalized and diverse school. Hence, in order to improve intercultural and international work in teacher education we need to understand how student teachers think and how they perceive their future work in relation to internationalization and intercultural competences.

This study aim to improve teacher education, by understanding how student teachers reason about global values and culturally diverse societies guided by the reseach question: How do student teachers approach to their studies and their profession from an international perspective?. By conducting focus group interviews with student teachers in Sweden, the Netherlands and France the study will add to increased understanding of national and cultural differences in the creation of the education for future democratic citizens

Schools are important in the formation of a democratic society and teachers play a crucial role in in enhancing basic democratic values as equity, equality and tolerance and in fostering diversity and inclusion. In a globalized world the student population in European schools is becoming increasingly diverse. As recurring studies show that teachers’ attitudes and skills matter in creating structures of inclusion and opportunity for all students there are strong reasons to train future teachers in intercultural perspectives and diversity (Milner 2013). One way to strengthen intercultural perspectives among students is through different form of internationalization activities. However previous reseach indicate less mobility and international exchange among student teachers compared to other groups (Hauschildt 2015) as well as limited internationals features in teacher education (Alexiadou et al 2021). One reason put forward for this is that teacher education is primarly educating for a national labour market (Egron Polak et al., 2015; Alexiadou et al 2021) which limits the focus on intercultural and international competencies. At the same time, as issues of diversity and inclusion are increasingly pressing the European educational systems, the need for intercultural competences among teachers in order to to train cultural competence and responsiveness to better address the needs of today's diverse student populations is more important then ever (Banks 2021). Previous reseach indicates a number of obstacels for the lack of internationalization in teacher education (Hauschildt 2015), but provide less knowledge about how student teachers perceive their future work in relation to intercultural values and increasingly globalized and diverse school. Hence, in order to improve intercultural and international work in teacher education we need to understand how student teachers think and how they perceive their future work in relation to internationalization and intercultural competences. This study aim to improve teacher education, by understanding how student teachers reason about global values and culturally diverse societies guided by the reseach question: How do student teachers approach to their studies and their profession from an international perspective?. By conducting focus group interviews with student teachers in Sweden, the Netherlands and France the study will add to increased understanding of national and cultural differences in the creation of the education for future democratic citizens

Preliminary result indicate different discources relating to local, national and global settings. The most prominent discource relates to the national arena and the students future in a national labour market. In this discourse, specific national reqirements and national framworks are considered important features for success. The research provides examples of obstacles that explain why mobility and interest in internationalization in teacher education are negatively distinguished in comparison with other educational programs. This has implication for future construction of teacher education and integration of intercultural features as part of fostering democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

Alexiadou, N., Kefala, Z & Rönnberg, L., (2021). Preparing education students for an international future? Connecting students’ experience to institutional contexts. Journal of Studies in International Education, 25(4) 443–460. Banks, J. A. (2021). Diversity, group identity, and citizenship education in a global age. In Handbuch Bildungs-und Erziehungssoziologie (pp. 1-24). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. Egron-Polak, E., Howard, L., Hunter, F., & de Wit, H. (2015). Internationalisation of higher education. Directorate-General for Internal Policies, European Union. Foucault, M. (1993). Diskursens ordning (L’ordre du discours). Brutus Östling. Hauschildt, K., Gwosć, C., Netz, N., & Mishra, S. (2015). Social and Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe. Synopsis of Indicators. EUROSTUDENT 2012–2015. W. Bertelsmann Verlag GmbH & Co. Jørgensen, M., & Phillips, L. (2002). Discourse analysis as theory and method. Sage. Laclau, E., & Mouffe, C. (2001). Hegemony and socialist strategy. Towards a radical democratic politics. Verso. Milner, H.R. 2010. What does teacher education have to do with teaching? Implication for diversity studies. Journal of Teacher Education 61 (1-2):118-131.