Internationalising the teacher education curriculum: An analysis of syllabi and student experiences

Abstract Internationalisation has increasingly become a key dimension of quality in initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. Although it is recognised as a means to strengthen future teachers' competencies and expand their professional knowledge, it remains underdeveloped in practice. This article examines the internationalisation of the ITE curriculum in Sweden. Using disciplinary lenses, we conducted a content analysis of the curriculum for grades 4–6 and interviews with student teachers at a major course provider. Our findings reveal two distinct patterns. First, while the curriculum emphasises critical thinking, it is predominantly framed within local and national narratives, with limited engagement in international or global perspectives. Teacher education is largely treated as context‐specific and embedded within national frameworks. Second, student teachers express a desire for more visible and systematic integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the content of courses and pedagogical processes. We argue for a more systematic operationalisation of internationalisation and interculturality within ITE content and pedagogy.