Vlasta Vizek Vidović
Institute for social research in Zagreb
Centre for the educational research and development
www.idi.hr/cerd
Belgrade, 23. January 2012.
Policy making institutions/bodies in educational sector
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Ministry of science, education and sports
National council for higher education
Parlamentary board for education and science
National board for CROQF
Public agencies supporting /supervising educational system:
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Agency for science and higher education
Croatian Education and Teacher Training Agency
Agency for vocational education and training and adult education
Agency for science and higher education
National centre for external evaluation of education
Providers of teacher education
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Initial teacher education – 7 universities
Induction – Croatian Education and Teacher Training Agency
In-service education - all agencies, numerous NGO’s
Research institutions
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Universities – faculties of social sciencies and humanities, teacher faculties
Institutes for social research (IDIZ-CERD, Pilar Institute)
NGO’s in educational sector (NEPC, FSO, IRO, Step by step)
Professional and civil associations in education
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teachers unions, parents associations
International organizations/funds
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ETF, ESF, OECD, OSI, UNESCO-Cepes, UNICEF, World bank
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Act on Scientific Activity and Higher Education (2003)
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Education ector development plan 2005-2010 (2005)
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Act on Education in Primary and Secondary Schools (2008)
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State Educational Standards (2008)
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Act on Vocational Education (2009)
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Act on quality assurance in Science and HE (2009)
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National curriculum for pre-school education, general
complusory and secondary school education (2011)
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Croatian Qualifications Framework (2007) (sectorial groups
– started in 2009)
all avaliable at www.mzos.hr
Initial teacher education:
Class teachers (primary school): at teacher faculties, MA level,
integrated program (300 ECTS), concurrent model,
competence based curriculum
Subject teachers (primary and secondary school): at discipline
faculties, two cycles (3+2), consecutive model, teaching
competences acquired at MA level – with 60 ECTS workload)
 Induction: novice status, duration one year, on the job approach,
appointed school – based mentor, regulated by by-law, state exam
 In-service teacher education: organized & supervised by
Agencies, recently modularised, losely connected to promotion
 Quality assurance – external evaluation by Agency for science
and higher education and National centre for external evaluation
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Universitation of ITE for primary school teachers (three cycles)
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Expansion of educational sciences/methodologies space in
discipline programs for subject teachers (60 ECTS)
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Competence based approach to curriculum development in HEI
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Emphasis on student centred approach to teaching/learning at all
levels of education
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Introduction of life-long learning and continuous professional
development perspective in in-service teacher education
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Implementation of quality assurance mechanisms across
educational levels
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Introduction of a concept of external system for certification of
the teacher qualifications (licencing) independant of induction
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Most changes adopted at the formal level without deeper
understanding or commitment leading to frustrations,
resistance, low motivation of actors
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A lot of fragmented efforts of various stakeholders – lack of
cooperation and synergy among actors, sometimes rivalry
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Low visibility of different initiatives in broader educational
context - poor dissemination of information
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Questionable sustainability of most initiatives – campaigne
style approach
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No stock-taking procedures, no follow-up actions, no
continuity in strategy development
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Lack of new general strategy for development of education
system and /or specific strategy for teacher development
Starting points:
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Croatian government obligation to develop qualification
standards for 24 sectors – following adoption of CROQF
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Qualification standards for teachers ackonwledged as
precondition for implementation of teacher licensing system
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Awareness of educational sector of EU initiatives directed
toward creating common principles for teacher competences
and recent discussions on teaching as regulated profession
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Accumulated evidence favouring competence based
approach to teacher education as well as development of
qualification standards for teacher as one of the tools for
achieving high quality teaching and learning
In January 2011 Position paper on licencing for NCEEE
In October 2011 a public call for:
Multi-annual operational programme “Human resources
development”, instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA)
“Further development and implementation of the Croatian
Qualifications Framework”
In November 2011 application submitted for the project:
„Development of the national qualification standard for
teachers as a basis for the implementation of a teacher
licensing system“
Applicant: National center for external evaluation of education
Partners: Centre for educational research and development,
Teacher faculty, University of Zagreb
Two schools (primary and secondary level)
Overall objective:
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To design a national qualification standard for teachers that
will contribute to further development and implementation of
the Croatian Qualifications Framework (CROQF) in the
education system.
Specific objectives:
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To define a national qualification standard for school teachers
as a set of competences of specific level, volume, profile and
quality, as a basis for the implementation of a licencing
system for teachers
To define the learning outcomes that will be used to
demonstrate the applicability of the qualification standard in
the licencing process
Do your best and hope for the best!
 Thank
you for your attention!