56

Session code: 3-3-A203

Title: DILEMMAS, UNCERTAINTIES AND INDECISIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF TEACHER EDUCATION: THE CASE OF CROATIA

Contributer/s: Vlatka Domovic, Zlata Godler

Abstract : At this point in time no country can afford to ignore or to be immune to the significant changes taking place in the educational sphere. The pressures which are most strongly felt challenging the present national educational systems can be recognised as: globalisation, internationalisation, europeanisation, informatisation, and professionalisation.

In view of the fact that teacher education makes an important segment of each national educational system it is necessary to ask appropriate questions about its future. In particular, questions should be posed about this educational segment`s aims, goals and objectives; contents; curricula; teaching methodologies; learning resources; and adequate quality assurance.

In this paper are addressed problems connected to the reaching the right solutions and making the correct decisions about the future of teacher education. In particular, examined are the exogenous and endogenous factors effecting the current educational policy decision making in Croatia. Discussed are difficulties arising from unresolved questions about the legitimacy and the merits of adoption of supraimposed templated solutions versus intentional borrowings of freely selected solutions.

This paper suggests that serious comparative research should be undertaken in regard to these issues especially in the countries were such research historicaly has not been of the major importance.