Analysing teacher education policy: comparative and historical approaches

In the past decade, as we have seen in the previous two chapters, teacher education has assumed greater significance in global education policy (OECD, 2011a, 2011b; Asia Society, 2013; World Bank, 2013). Strategies to improve education outcomes have increasingly focused on improving teachers’ learning, leading to national reviews of teacher education. A repertoire of global reforms has sought to increase control over teachers’ work and performance while simultaneously emphasising teachers’ knowledge and discretion (Tatto, 2007). International organisations and global policy entrepreneurs have promoted a degree of convergence around certain core themes: The quality of entrants; practicum enhancement; the imperative of career-long teacher learning; school leadership; the use of evidence, including research, to inform improvement.e academy within the wider teacher education continuum from initial teacher education, through induction to continuing professional developmen