Some of the main goals that education strives to achieve are certification and socialization. To achieve these goals in the best interest of the individual and society is a demanding challenge for all involved. In what context is the certification going to be used? Into what society are those educated expected to socialize? Teacher education is at the heart of the discussion as it is responsible for educating teachers whose task it will be to certify and socialize a new generation into a society, the nature of which is, to a large extent, still unknown. 

The aim of the NAFOL Year Book 2012 is to contribute to research-based knowledge in teacher education. The anthology consists of contributions from lecturers, invited guest professors, key note speakers, and PhD students in some way connected to the national graduate school for teacher education NAFOL during 2012. The anthology is thought of as an innovation combining the characteristics of a yearbook of a journal and the characteristics of a conference anthology.