“We Need to Give the Profession Something that No One Else Can”: Swedish Student Teachers‟ Perceptions and Experiences of their Preschool Teacher Training Programme

Current research points towards preschool and qualitative pedagogical relationships as being determined and formed by a close link between care and teaching. An Early Childhood Education should lead not only towards the acquisition of knowledge within specific areas but should also enhance the personal development of student teachers. New and creative competences need to be developed to cope with increasingly complex, changing and diversified learning environments. The crucial questions are: How well does contemporary Teacher Education prepare student teachers for their future role? Do students feel that their teacher-training programme has sufficiently prepared them for their profession? This study comprises Swedish student teachers‟ perceptions and experiences of their Early Childhood Education. Data is based on 181 written evaluations by final year student teachers. Results are discussed using a theoretical framework based on the sociological concept of an “educational contract” comprising three different levels of negotiation: students‟ education and their current workforce; students and their teacher training programme; students, teachers and learning in any given educational situation.