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The phrase internationalization of teacher education refers to the ways in which teacher preparation programs are implementing strategies and structures that facilitate the development of greater global competencies in preservice teachers. Changes in technology have facilitated dramatic shifts in communication and commerce, making it easier to cross borders, promoting access to, and changes in, political, economic, social, and cultural landscapes. These changes connect people in unprecedented ways and require that today's students have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to engage responsibly and effectively as citizens in this increasingly globalized context. Yet most teachers today are not equipped to educate students for this changing and increasingly global world. One mechanism to address this gap is the internationalization of teacher education programs, ensuring that teachers of the future will have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to provide their students with the capacity to engage collaboratively and constructively in an increasingly global environment. This entry reviews the various ways in which teacher education is being internationalized and some of the outcomes of these efforts.

The Goals of Internationalization

Broadly speaking, the overarching goal of internationalization is to equip future educators with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to prepare their future students for life in an increasingly global and interconnected world. More specific objectives include helping preservice teachers (a) deepen their understanding of and curiosity about the world and its peoples, (b) recognize the ways in which all content areas are linked to international and global issues and contexts, (c) develop pedagogical and technological knowledge and tools to meet the needs of all students as well as to connect with the world and/or bring it into their classrooms, (d) acquire cross-cultural communication skills along with cultural adaptability and flexibility, (e) recognize the importance of a commitment to responsible citizenship toward both local and global communities, and (f) gain increased exposure to and mastery of world languages.

In order to accomplish these goals, teacher education programs are required to find ways to internationalize, either through changes to their curricula or their service, field, and internship experiences. This can only be done by changing both the perspectives and practices of administrators and faculty members about the value of internationalization and its place in teacher preparation programs. First, institutions need to develop a common, shared language and understanding about what constitutes internationalization and why it is important. In addition, they need to identify common learning outcomes for their student populations that can guide the change process. Finally, they need to decide on the ways in which they will infuse internationalization into their programs in order to meet those learning outcomes.

Internationalizing Coursework in Teacher Education

One way that teacher education programs work to internationalize their programs is by infusing them with courses, content, and pedagogy that are global and international in nature. In this way, students can be exposed to international perspectives and experiences without necessarily having to leave their home communities. This approach provides mechanisms that are relatively easy to adopt and less costly than programs that require preservice teachers to do service, field, or internship experiences in another country or cultural setting.

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