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For several years, the European Commission has been investing in transnational mobility projects, namely Erasmus+, for the continuing professional development of teaching and non-teaching staff of schools for the sole purpose of improving the quality of education, as well as to establish networks of communications where teachers and schools can share their best practices and experiences. Although necessarily nestled in a proactive and positive school culture, these projects also have an impact on teachers professionally, but also on a personal level. This article therefore aims at studying how these international teacher professional development experiences change teachers’ biographies and their narrative expressions and possibly transform how they identify themselves personally, as European citizens, and professionally as European teachers. Empirical data collected through a multiple case study in Portugal appears to confirm that a considerable shift in professional and personal identity occurs through the participation of Erasmus+ KA1 projects for teacher professional development.

Virtual exchange, a form of internationalisation at home, provides an opportunity to increase teacher access to international learning experiences, but so far it has mainly been studied in the context of foreign languages teacher education. This article explores the design and implementation of a virtual exchange between an Austrian and a French university for student teachers of various disciplines, aiming to enhance their professional awareness as European teachers. Deploying a design-based research approach, we designed the intervention and evaluated it on the basis of participants' perceptions. Data were gathered through multiple methods and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings suggest that the effective delivery of a virtual exchange requires an established partnership, collaborative student tasks, and the use of synchronous online communication. Virtual exchange can extend student teachers' professional awareness, developing their knowledge of other teacher education systems, appreciation of cultural diversity, and openness to transnational collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the conceptualization, implementation, and effects of a virtual exchange initiative aimed at fostering internationalization within teacher education programs at both an Austrian and a French university. Utilizing a design-based research methodology, our study initially focused on identifying the most effective framework for the intervention and assessing its outcomes. Subsequently, we investigated the perspectives of student teachers regarding their experiences with the initiative. Data collection employed a variety of methods, with analysis conducted through qualitative content analysis. Our findings indicate that for virtual exchange to effectively promote internationalization, it must be integrated into the core of teacher education programs. Engaging in virtual exchange encourages student teachers to envision themselves as part of a broader European teaching community, thereby broadening their sense of identity and belonging. Consequently, virtual exchange initiatives have the potential to prompt stakeholders in teacher education to reconsider the intersection of internationalization and digital transformation, paving the way for innovative approaches in teacher training.