Colloque « PEERS Projects, a New Key Component for the Internationalization of Teacher Education »

Abstract

Today’s Higher Education is facing the challenge of a Global World, an interconnected multifaceted reality. The Universities of Teacher Education, in Europe, which correspond to the Colleges of Education in the USA, have to respond to the need to create a process of integrating an international and cultural dimension into the teaching, research and service functions of the institution itself. Developing an international and intercultural comprehensive frame is an extension of the academic horizon and it is an improvement of the quality and international academic standards. PEERS team projects want to create a stronger support in the teaching practices for teacher trainers and offer tools for the future professional career of a student teacher, to help the future teacher create an intercultural understanding and an intercultural competence. PEERS is based on a student exchange project commonly defined by a group of students being part of the University of Teacher Education of State of Vaud (HEP Vaud, Lausanne, Switzerland), in association with a group of students from a Partner Institution. Each team will be coached by one faculty member from each Institution involved in the project. Faculty may also carry out joint research works or establish a common interest ground to develop future research with the partner Institution. PEERS focuses on relevant educational issues, which are a topical debate, chosen by the student groups, the latter being guided and supervised by an instructor/faculty. 2011-2012 is a pilot year and groups have worked on topics such as: (a) Cultural diversity; (b) Culture and Language, Bilingualism, Literacy; (c) Educational Intervention plan to promote protection of environment and improvement of living conditions: interdisciplinary research work biology, sociology, geography anthropology; (d) Scholar failure: drop-out phenomenon: family disadvantage, violence, segregated community. Physically and mentally challenged students (Communitary Approach - Educational Alliances). This symposium explains the PEERS concept during an introduction presentation followed by five case studies of PEERS projects presenting challenges, context and problems, initial hypothesis and intuitions, actions on the field, interrelation teaching-research, early results and avenues in terms of internationalization in teacher education. Five international groups will present the projects conducted by the HEP Vaud with the following institutions: Humboldt State University (HSU, Arcata, CA - United States); Lesley University (LU, Boston, MA - United States); National Institute of Education (NIE, Singapore); San Diego State University (SDSU, San Diego, CA - United States) and University Simón I. Patiño (USIP, Cochabamba, Bolivia).