Autonomy or control: discussion of a central dilemma in developing a realistic teacher education in Norway

The introduction of the collaborative partnership model in initial teacher education at the Norwegian University for Science and Technology has paved the way for activities and components in its professional training that closely relate to the field of practice and meets the need to attain the more ‘here‐and‐now’‐oriented objectives of the teacher education programme. The evaluation of the model reveals, however, that considerable work remains to be done before one can say that the education programme has achieved the national objectives set for a suitable training for the profession. This concerns the students' acquisition of educational theory, which is considered to be a prerequisite to the development of autonomy in the teaching profession. While a solid foundation of educational theory will be of importance for the students' future professional growth, teacher education must also include elements associated with control, thus ensuring the school system's implicit function as the bearer of society's values and culture.