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9 | Ausgabe 05 | 2018 | 2. Jg. Expanding
Becoming a Pro
Improve personally and professionally by teaching abroad
J
J About the impact of international mobility during the Postgraduate Teacher Training program at
the University of Orléans.
Internationalization has a significant
place in the training of teachers as edu-
cation systems and methods of learn-
ing can vary greatly from one country
to another. The School of Education
of the University of Orléans promotes
international experiences of prospec-
tive teachers. Students, during their
placement abroad, usually teach French
as a foreign language and also other
subjects in English. We work with
partner universities abroad to select
local schools and to organize the prac-
tical modalities of such placements.
Students from the University of
Orleans can carry out their place-
ment in Austria, Belgium, Canada,
the Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland,
the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Swit-
zerland and the United Kingdom. In
return, we welcome students from our
partner universities and organize place-
ments in local schools.The trainees are
accompanied before, during and after
the placement by their referent teach-
ers in their home institution. Mentors
from the host school are involved in
the pedagogical preparation of the par-
ticipants.
We have been working with the Uni-
versity of Education Upper Austria
since 2013. Our students have greatly
benefited from their teaching prac-
tice with Susanne Hofstätter at the
Europaschule.
In the aim of having a quality feedback
on the international experience, our
school of Education organized a con-
ference in June 2018.
According to students’ testimonies,
placements abroad help teacher train-
ees build their professional identity
and develop comparative thinking.
Their placement helps them enrich
their classroom management prac-
tices, as well as space management and
planning methods; they hence develop
tools to enhance cooperative learning.
They develop their knowledge about
incentive tools, reward systems and
assessment. They learn about diversity
management and how to implement
differentiation in their classrooms.
The experience abroad also enhances
their knowledge of digital tools and the
practice of these tools to collaborate in
an international perspective, with the
purpose of of creating exchanges with
their future classes.
In order to evaluate the benefits of our
mobility programs, we launched a sur-
vey among students who went abroad
between 2010 and 2016. In our study,
we targeted alumni who have com-
pleted the teacher training course and
who are already in service.
The students defined cultural and lin-
guistic motivations, as well as the dis-
covery of professional practices as their
main motivation for an experience
abroad.These were also the factors they
valued the most after their placements.
All respondents saw their personal
skills evolve, including independence,
self-confidence, and intercultural skills.
They developed professional skills,
including a comparative approach on
the education system of their own
country, values and citizenship, and
managing diversity. All say they have
developed other skills and knowledge
such as managing relations with col-
leagues, teaching French as a foreign
language, discovering Montessori ped-
agogy, knowledge of European school
systems, interpersonal skills, and open-
ness to others.
85% say that their stay abroad fostered
the success of their teaching degree.
Many of them chose the subject of
their Master’s thesis in connection
with their stay abroad.Their experience
also gave the perspective on teaching
practices and engaged an analytical
reflection for their research work.
80% of respondents say that their stay
abroad has a positive effect on their
daily lives as teachers. They evoke the
enrichment of their teaching prac-
tices, as well as the conception of their
teaching posture and their relationship
with students. The placement abroad
enriches linguistic and didactic skills as
well as methods for foreign language
teaching and the cultural aspects of
modern foreign languages (MFL).
Many students have already devel-
oped international projects in their
schools, some have kept in touch with
their tutors abroad and set up projects
between their classes. Stays abroad also
promote professional mobility: 87%
of respondents consider working in
a foreign country some time in their
careers. Some have already taken posi-
tions in other countries. Others found
a new path following their internship
and turned to French teaching or adult
education.
The international placement program
strengthens the international activities
of all partners (higher education insti-
tutions and schools) and aims at rais-
ing awareness among students, pupils
and teachers of diversity. Participating
learners develop professional, linguis-
tic and personal skills and have a better
understanding of their job, which they
will share with their colleagues. We
expect that school placements abroad
foster the development of international
projects in local schools by establish-
ing a continuity between openness in
teacher education and the interna-
tional activities of schools.
Nina Huss ist Leiterin des Büros für
internationale Beziehungen an der
École supérieure du professorat et de
l‘éducation, Universität Orléons.
“According to
students’ testimonies,
placements abroad
help teacher trainees
build their professional
identity and develop
comparative thinking.“
Conference
internationalisation-de-la-forma-
tion-des-enseignants
Foto: Privat