Theme

Inequalities, injustice and oppression are inhuman characteristics of our human world. Unequal power relations exist and persist between different regions of the world, and between different groups in society. The last economic crisis has worsened the situation, and has affected the most vulnerable ones. In the view of alleged development, austerity politics have deteriorated the life conditions of millions, and aggravated inequalities. Education is encapsulated in these tendencies. Unequal power relations exist between all participants in the educational process, and the sector of education suffered all the bad consequences of the crisis. However, it is a strong conviction of many that education should contribute to the transformation of society by counteracting inequalities and by acting for the construction of more democratic and just societies. Educational practice and research cannot be neutral, but should be based on a vision of social justice. There are different interpretations of social justice, but there is a shared hope among many committed practitioners and researchers that by combating injustice in its different forms education can foster equality, equity and democracy in our smaller and larger social contexts.  Teacher education intended as the whole process of teachers’ development has a crucial role in this process of change.  Power relations must be highlighted in teacher education, and teachers must be prepared to answer the challenges of unjust contexts and to contribute to the transformational processes.
Unequal power relations are inherently connected to differences, and are based on membership of social groups such as social class, gender, perceived ethnicity, and so on. In the last decades, more and more differences were recognized in education (cultural, social, racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, language, ability and so on), and diversity has become an important concept in education, while cross-cultural misunderstandings, prejudices and processes of ‘othering’, bullying and exclusion are still present in schools and education systems. Teachers and therefore teacher education have a strong responsibility to acknowledge, challenge and overcome these tendencies.
The goal of this conference is to foster professional debate and discussion among researchers and other stakeholders especially around the following questions:
  • How are social inequalities reflected, present and represented in teacher education, teachers’ work and professional development?
  • What are the interpretations of diversity present in teacher education, and how do they influence teachers’ view and work?
  • What is the role of teacher diversity in the educational process?
  • How can teacher education and teachers’ work contribute to the transformation of unequal and unjust school and social contexts?
  • What are the tendencies in Europe and worldwide of teacher education and professional development policies, and how can they be analysed and evaluated from the perspective of social justice and diversity?
  • What are teachers’ views on social justice and diversity and what is the impact of these views on students’ life and performance?