Summary:

In this chapter the impact of globalisation and the development of teacher education in Sweden during the 20^th century up until today is discussed. Sweden is the largest of the five Nordic countries, the other four of which as Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. A remarkable history of social engineering of an entire nation through comprehensive educational reform and mass schooling has harnessed the reputation of Sweden as the pinnacle of global social conscience. The educational system has gained a global reputation for what has been more generally known as ‘the Swedish Model’ (Regeringskansliet, n.d.). This ‘common good’ that the Swedish education resembled was admired and praised across the world for its progressive, student-centred learning and level playing field in classroom teaching. An aligned national curriculum policy steering this progressively designed social constructivist educational schooling apparatus, centered on equity and access to public education by all school-aged children living in Sweden. In this chapter, we describe the pathways of the Swedish development of teacher education through major reform periods leading to the current era of globalization. Since teacher education in Sweden is a publically driven system, we begin with a brief overview of the institutional context and a short overview of the Swedish school system. We then describe the impact of education reforms on the teaching profession and teacher education and conclude by deliberating on the professionalized teaching profession in the wake of globalization, migration and an increased need of multidimensional integration efforts.

Language: English