Aspects of recent reforms of teacher education in Sweden

Abstract

This paper outlines some aspects of reforms of teacher education in Sweden. The main features of latest reform and their context is analyzed. The focus of the paper is the complex situation of teacher education as a professional programme within the higher education system. An underpinning notion is that the higher education system, the traditional Swedish universities have not recognized the strategic importance of teacher education and therefore not in reality provided it with equal opportunities for development of research and necessary funding for such endeavor. This attitude from universities towards teacher education is regarded as the main reason for the most striking failure of Swedish teacher education – an in depth integration into academic research. After thirty years within the higher education system it could questioned if teacher education in reality could be regarded as a research based education. In the end the bologna process is touched upon and critique is raised against the Swedish way of bologna adaptation as expressing a low awareness of teacher education as a professional education and, an attitude based on traditional values within traditional universities.