Initial Teacher Education: Appropriate Models for a Knowledge Society?

: Teacher education and professional development of teachers are a crucial issue for any country, since the quality of the teaching staff is one of the main factors influencing the level of students' academic achievements. The conditions in which teachers work today are drastically different from the ones of the early 20th century, whereas the structure and organization of initial teacher education has not changed significantly. Although the course content, the duration of study, and learning and teaching strategies have changed, the main teacher training models, regardless of the differences between them, still include course content related to individual professions, course content from pedagogy and psychology, didactic and methodology training, and in-service teacher training. This paper analyses initial teacher education models with regard to the presence of the said elements and the manner in which they are distributed in the structure and organization of the study programme. On the basis of a conducted analysis, the authors conclude that there is not a single initial teacher education model which proposes a paradigm shift that would yield more successful results in comparison with other models in the preparation of teachers for work in a postmodern era. To navigate the complex social requirements, the most suitable initial teacher education model is the one which integrates different types of knowledge and skills, and produces teachers who are capable of research and reflection - a model which would allow teachers to become critical intellectuals capable of acting autonomously and competently.