Teachers, trainers, school leaders – insights from the 2023 round of Torino Process monitoring
In the framework of the Torino Process, in 2023 the ETF carried out a novel monitoring exercise across 22 of its partner countries in the EU’s neighbouring regions to evaluate the performance of their vocational education and training (VET) systems.
The focus was on the degree to which countries create and sustain good and equitable opportunities for lifelong learning, and also on the impact which initial and continuing VET has on the educational and career paths of young and adult individuals. The results will help guide policy refinement, resource allocation, and strategy formulation with the well-being and success of learners at the centre.
The monitoring exercise examined many of the deliverables of vocational education and training systems including teachers, trainers, and staff in leadership positions in education and training. The emphasis was on excellence in teaching and the professional growth of educators, the integration of innovative practices to boost the quality and relevance of teachers work in support of learning and training, the competence of VET school leaders, and the efficiency in managing human resources allocated to the system, particularly the availability and proper deployment of teachers and trainers.
The 2023 monitoring delivered a mixed message in these areas. The results point out both positive trends, such as the improvement in learning quality and efforts to align education with labour market demands, as well as areas of concern or at least room for improvement. Examples include the presence of gaps in leadership capacity across countries, only moderate emphasis on pedagogical excellence despite commitments to the contrary, and moderate efficiency in managing human resources.
System performance in terms of pedagogy and the professional development of teachers in terms of fostering excellence through highest-quality practices was found to be moderate, at best.
Some comparative figures on the recent professional development of teachers from a range of countries participating in the Torino Process exercise are presented below
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Percentage of teachers who attended a programme of professional development in the previous three months
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