Certain common elements can be identified regarding teacher education development in advanced knowledge-based economies. One of these is the attempt, up until relatively recently, to develop a solid foundation of scientific professional knowledge for what Basil Bernstein called the teacher education "Trivium": roughly speaking, pedagogical sciences: approximately the psychology, sociology and philosophy of education. Another more recent development is to reverse this trend through a returning emphasis on academic subjects. The present article is based on an analysis of this policy trajectory in Sweden.