Short‑term international mobility has become an increasingly significant component of European teacher education, offering students opportunities to develop intercultural competence, pedagogical awareness, and emerging professional identity within a condensed but intensive learning environment. While long‑term mobility has been widely studied, the professional learning potential of short‑duration programmes remains less explored, particularly in relation to reflective learning and collaborative knowledge construction. This study addresses this gap by examining how participation in a one‑week FORTHEM short‑term mobility programme in Finland influenced the professional development of 17 education students from various European countries.

The FORTHEM Alliance, funded through the European Universities Initiative, aims to strengthen cross‑border collaboration, mobility, and innovation in higher education. Within this framework, short‑term mobility programmes are designed to provide students with immersive intercultural experiences, exposure to diverse pedagogical approaches, and opportunities to engage in collaborative tasks with peers from different cultural and educational backgrounds. The mobility week examined in this study took place in Finland and focused on contemporary pedagogical practices, reflective learning, and collaborative inquiry. Students participated in school visits, workshops, group projects, and structured reflection activities, all of which were intended to deepen their understanding of teaching and learning in an international context.

The theoretical framework draws on research on professional identity development in teacher education, intercultural learning, and reflective practice. Professional identity is understood as a dynamic and socially constructed process shaped by experiences, interactions, and opportunities for reflection. International mobility has been shown to support this development by challenging students’ assumptions, broadening their pedagogical perspectives, and fostering a sense of belonging to a wider European educational community. Reflective learning, meanwhile, provides a mechanism through which students interpret and make meaning of their experiences, enabling them to connect new insights to their emerging professional selves. This study positions short‑term mobility as a context where these processes intersect: intercultural encounters, collaborative tasks, and exposure to unfamiliar pedagogical approaches create fertile ground for reflection and identity negotiation.

Our research question study is: How do students describe their professional development after participating in a one‑week international short‑term mobility programme? The data consist of participants’ written post‑mobility reflections and additional material collected during the mobility week. Through qualitative thematic analysis, the study examines how students made sense of intercultural interactions, collaborative learning, and pedagogical observations, and how these experiences contributed to their professional growth.

The European dimension is central to this study. The participants represent multiple countries and educational traditions. By analysing how students learn with and from one another, the study contributes to ongoing discussions about the role of internationalisation in shaping the future of teacher education in Europe. It highlights how short‑term mobility can function as a meaningful pedagogical space where students develop intercultural competence, expand their pedagogical repertoires, and strengthen their sense of professional identity within a European framework.

This study employs a qualitative research design to explore how students describe their professional development after participating in a one week international mobility programme in Finland. The data consist of written reflections produced by 17 education students from various European countries and materials collected during the mobility week. The reflections were written immediately after the programme. The analysis follows a qualitative thematic approach. The analysis proceeded in three stages. First, all reflections were read to gain an overall sense of the material. Second, meaningful segments of text were identified and coded inductively, focusing on expressions related to professional learning, intercultural encounters, pedagogical insights, and identity development. Third, the codes were grouped into broader themes that captured recurring patterns across participants’ accounts. Participation in the mobility programme was voluntary, and students were informed that their reflections could be used for research purposes. All data were anonymised, and no identifying information is included in the analysis.

Preliminary analysis of the students’ written reflections reveals that even a one week mobility experience can generate deep professional learning when it combines observation, hands on activities, intercultural dialogue, and structured reflection. Students describe the mobility as transformative, prompting them to reconsider their assumptions about teaching, learning, and the teacher’s role. A central theme was the comparison, reflection, and even questioning of teacherhood and educational systems. Students highlight how Finnish schools cultivate responsibility, autonomy, and emotional safety through calm environments, respectful teacher–student relationships, and the absence of punitive discipline. Many contrasted this with their home systems, where hierarchy, control, and testing are more prominent. Experiencing a culture of trust led students to reimagine their own future teacher identities and to imagine classrooms grounded in respect, empathy, and shared responsibility. Secondly, students emphasise phenomenon based learning, creative arts, outdoor education, and collaborative projects helped them understand pedagogical principles beyond theoretical coursework alone. Several note that this experience bridged the gap between university theory and school practice, strengthening their confidence and motivation as future teachers. Reflections reveal substantial development in intercultural competence and professional self awareness. Working in international groups encouraged students to compare educational systems, articulate their beliefs, and recognise culturally shaped assumptions. Many describe gaining a broader European perspective on education and feeling part of a shared professional community. The mobility experience fostered a shift in assessment thinking. Students were particularly influenced by Finland’s emphasis on formative, dialogic, and strengths based assessment. They report re evaluating the role of grades, considering how feedback shapes learners’ self image, and expressing a desire to adopt more supportive assessment practices in their future work. Findings indicate that short term mobility can meaningfully support professional identity development, pedagogical insight, and intercultural learning, demonstrating its value as a powerful, accessible tool within European teacher education.

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