Experiences of qualified teachers of the future in the scope of an international etwinning project

Abstract

The aim of robust social learning networks such as eTwinning, which is a part of Erasmus internationality programs, is to foster and promote the creation and development of awareness for respect, tolerance, and understanding by ensuring the integration of young people from different countries and cultures through dialogue. Phenomenological research design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in this research in which the experiences of teacher candidates regarding the eTwinning project were analyzed. The focus of the transnational collaboration was that student teachers from different cultures use eTwinning’s secure and safe digital platform, Twinspace, to contribute to their cultural, personal, and professional development and competences through eTwinning activities. The study group of the research represents 30 (4 males, 26 females) student teachers studying in Turkey (2 universities), Italy (1 university), Germany (1 university), and France (1 university). Participants were between the ages of 18-24. A semi-structured interview form (Google Form) developed by the researchers was used as the qualitative data collection tool. The content analysis method was used for data analysis. The student teachers researched, analyzed, and compared their teacher training systems of the four project countries, to identify the skills and cultural differences required as a pre-service primary school teacher in the 21st century.