Teacher education for vocational education and training: a comparative study of the Scottish and English systems set within a European context

The paper develops a comparative analysis of teacher education for vocational education
and training in Scotland and England, which is set within a European context. A ‘home
international’ intra-comparative framework is used for the study, identifying both strengths
and weaknesses within both systems. A number of themes are identified and discussed within the study including the issues of governance, regulation, pedagogy and professionalisation. The findings indicate that both countries have responded in different ways to the pressures of neo-liberal competitiveness and globalisation, in particular by adopting different systems of governance and regulation. However, it is argued that although these differences are significant when viewed within a ‘cross-border’ setting, they also underline how both countries have by and large disengaged from European policy making in
vocational education teacher training.