In the European policies to increase the quality of teachers, much
attention is given to the upgrading of qualifications. However, in
European debates on teacher education, e.g. within the context of the
Education & Training 2020 program, discussions about the qualification level are mostly restricted to initial teacher education. This raises
the question what possibilities there are to raise the qualification level
of teachers already working in schools.
From this perspective, there is a need to take a closer look at in-service
Master’s qualification programs, at existing arrangements and programs,
at their focus and their impact on the professionalism of teachers.
The paper addresses issues with respect to the conditions for successful
in-service Master’s level qualification programs and reflects on content
elements that should be part of the curriculum of these programs. In
answering the question what content elements should be part of inservice Master’s programs that extend the minimum standards for
teachers, the paper focuses on the ‘secondary role’ of teachers that
extends beyond the primary process of teaching and learning and
connects this to the concept of extended professionalism (Hoyle 1975,
Stenhouse 1975). The paper concludes with a frame of reference that
can be used to analyse the contribution of in-service Master’s level
qualification programs to the professionalism of teachers.