Expanding learning environments in initial teacher education

ABSTRACT The development of a collaborative culture in the teaching profession is a challenge that ought to be addressed in initial teacher education. The involvement in a European programme that connects different educational institutions allowed student teachers to explore a learning environment created to enhance the use of technology, foreign languages and innovative methodologies. Student teachers from two countries, Italy and Spain, used digital resources to collaborate and design a project for kindergarten and primary children. By means of a qualitative study the impact of the involvement in a teacher network and the actions that must be undertaken so as to take into account learning ecologies in university teaching was analysed. In this case study, the voices and perceptions of all the participants are shown highlighting the suitability, opportunities and challenges of the involvement in a teacher collaborative network in initial teacher education. The positive impact on teaching practices suggests the potential of expanding student teachers learning environments created by digital technology.