Visibility of eTwinning Projects Group July 2025 Newsletter investigated outcome area in the eTwinning ITE articles found; 52.9 % of studies addressed this feature.
Additionally, another gain reported by various articles was that student teachers report feeling more prepared for the collaborative demands that contemporary teaching has. Also, 47.1 % of the studies found addressed the development of the intercultural competence, reporting consistent positive outcomes across diverse contexts. This might be because authentic collaboration seems to create optimal conditions for developing crosscultural teaching skills, which are essential for modern classrooms. The consistency of positive findings across various contexts supports the effectiveness and potential of eTwinning ITE.
Even if the impact of eTwinning at the university-level were not as powerful as the one reported in mainstream education, which does not seem to be the case, its value is still an important asset because of its multiplicative effects. Each prepared teacher can potentially impact hundreds of future students throughout their career because student teachers who experience international collaboration firsthand bring invaluable perspectives to their classrooms.
Additionally, early eTwinning exposure may help future teachers establish professional networks and collaborative habits that they can rely on and keep improving throughout their careers.
Theoretical understanding of international collaboration cannot replace real experiences of navigating challenges and celebrating successes. Experiential learning is essential for developing practical competences. Those student teachers who have managed time zones, language barriers, and cultural differences have a much deeper understanding of international initiatives and are better equipped to implement them in their teaching careers. The experiences lived mark how effectively they will guide their own students through similar experiences.
This goes in line with research from other educational levels that suggest eTwinning has a lasting impact on the professional practice and on student outcomes( European Commission, 2013; Kearney & Gras-Velázquez, 2015). Furthermore, teachers who participate in eTwinning demonstrate increased innovation, enhanced digital skills, and stronger professional networks( Napal-Fraile et al., 2024). These benefits will likely transfer to the future careers of the teachers, but specific research on this remains limited.
The connection between teacher preparation experiences and future professional practice requires the implementation of longitudinal studies on the long-term effects of eTwinning ITE, as this is one of the research gaps.
Conclusion eTwinning ITE emerges as a fundamental shift in teacher preparation for globally interconnected classrooms. As educational contexts become increasingly international, teachers need experiences preparing them for this reality. The platform offers proven pathways for
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