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 AfriATE aims to enhance the quality of Teacher Education in Africa through active dialogue and international exchange of research and practice in initial and in-service teacher education.
Teacher Education implies all the activities which develop and enhance the professional competences of teachers, during initial, induction and in-service phases of their careers. Such activities could be offered by institutes for higher education, by government departments (or ministries) of education, by schools as employers of teachers, by teachers themselves and by any other commercial or non-commercial initiative.

AfriATE wants to stimulate the dialogue between teacher educators, researchers on teacher education, students, teachers, employers, politicians, inspectorate, NGOs and any other group involved in teacher education, research and innovation in (teacher) education.

International exchange is not restricted to Africa. Teacher educators in Africa can learn from each other but also from experiences, research and ideas from outside Africa. Similarly, African experience, knowledge and research can support teacher educators outside Africa in the general enhancement of the quality of teacher education throughout the world.

Research and practice can be used to raise knowledge and understanding of the most effective ways in which to educate teachers. Therefore, we try to find a fruitful combination of both research and practice, which can lead to a synthesis of both theoretical and practical knowledge.

Activities
To achieve the aim as stated in its mission statement, the AfriATE tries to increase co-operation between individuals and institutes engaged in Teacher Education both inside and outside Africa. This is done by promoting international networks, such as the research and development centres, through the stimulation of joint research and by stimulating innovative approaches to teacher education.

The exchange of research and practice will be facilitated by the publication of the African Journal of Teacher Education and by the organisation of conferences e.g. the annual AfriATE conference in August as well as the AfriATE February conference.

The Research and Development Centres (RDCs) are the core of the organisation, creating a backbone for social coherence within the association and providing the first platform for dialogue, exchange and joint international activities between individuals and institutions.

The AfriATE supports co-operation between national and international associations which are involved in teacher education.

Finally, the AfriATE aims to stimulate the dialogue between teacher educators and politicians, by informing and influencing politicians at a African, national and regional level, and by engaging itself in political studies connected to the area of Teacher Education.

MEMBERSHIP

The AfriATE is an association with both individual and institutional members.
Membership will include the following benefits:

• Free subscribtion to the African Jouranl of Teacher Education (hard copy)
• Possibility to join one of the Research and Development centers and its activities
• Reduction rates for AfriATE conferences
• Access to the membership area of the website which will in the future give access to the online database with AJTE-articles.

For institutional members, the membership fee depends on the size of the institution:
Annual Membership Fees

INTERNAL RELATIONS

The AfriATE takes part in a broad network of national and international institutions, associations and governmental bodies in the area of teacher quality and teacher education.
Through its memberships, the AfriATE has a broad network of pre-service and in-service teacher education institutions in a wide variety of countries, covering the most of Africa and countries from outside Africa (including the United States, Australia and European countries).
To strengthen the voice of teacher education in the world and to stimulate exchange in the worldwide community of teacher education, the AfriATE participates in the World Federation of Associations for Teacher Education, where the AfriATE cooperates with the Association of Teacher Educators ATE in the United States, the Australian Teacher Education Association  ATEA and the European Association for Teacher Education.
 On a regular basis the AfriATE is invited by the other associations to give the association's view on policies concerning teacher quality and teacher education.

ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD

The AfriATE has an administrative governing body, the Administrative Board, which is constituted by 6 members who help define the policies and strategies.
Formal decisions on AfriATE’s policy are taken by the General Assembly.