Teacher Education in Russia Past, Present, and Future

"We have seen a resurgence of interest in educational reform and practices in the former Soviet Union, including a spate of papers and articles that look at the nature of teaching in post-soviet states. But, there is still little recent, in-depth scholarship on teacher education. This book fills a conspicuous gap in our literature by providing a detailed and comprehensive look at Russian teacher education. The book is solidly situated in the historical context and in the English literature on Soviet and Russian education. It affords the reader an accessible, but detailed synopsis of the context of the changes and transitions that have go on in the modern period. The book clearly addresses the impact of globalization on teacher education and the case study of KFU gives us a sense of the dynamism - e.g. addressing issues of ethnic and religious diversity -- in what has often been considered a lock-step federalized system. It details how the political crisis of the late 1980s and 1990s ushered in a re-thinking of Soviet educational policies and programs, resulting in a new system that continues to be shaped by extensive federal reform efforts. The ongoing efforts to reform teacher education in the context of university system reform allows the reader to compare Russia with other nations that have engaged in broad attempts to reform teacher education."

Gerald LeTendre, Penn State College of Education, Pennsylvania State University, USA

"This book takes us through a fascinating journey of the past and present of teacher education in Russia. It clearly illustrates how practice and policy in teacher education have been shaped over time through the complex interplay and influence of culture, politics, history and economics. While it presents the uniqueness of Russia's case, it also points to future scenarios in light of the increasing influence of globalisation - an analysis that is also relevant to understand the reality of teacher education in other jurisdictions. A valuable contribution to the field and a must-read book for all those interested in teacher education."

Maria Assunção Flores, University of Minho, Portugal