The teaching profession in the educational policy of the European Union

Abstract

The teaching profession is constantly changing and teachers require new competences to carry out their work in a dynamic and complex context. Moreover, the role of the European Union is becoming increasingly decisive in influencing education policies in each country. For this reason, the aim of this research is to identify the most relevant regulations on teachers and to analyse them to examine the teacher competence profile from a supranational perspective. To achieve this objective, we have carried out a content analysis of the documentation generated (communications, recommendations, exchanges of good practice and working reports) from 2000 to 2021. The study has been organised around the three strategic programmes of the EU: ET 2010, ET 2020 and ET 2030. The results highlight the growing interest in the topic of teaching in the European context and the progressive incorporation of tools and guides for the design of teaching careers. The main conclusions point to the importance of competence frameworks as a crosscutting instrument for articulating teacher policies. These findings may have practical implication, as teacher policy makers can use them as a means for orientation and reflection. 

Key words: teaching profession, educational policy, teacher education career, European studies, teacher competences