ReconTEP · (Re)Conceptualizing teacher educator professionalism
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2017-09-01 → 2019-08-31
- EU contribution
- €195,455
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
(Re)Conceptualizing teacher educator professionalism
Teachers matter. There is a robust body of research on the impact of teachers’ identities, knowledge and beliefs on the quality of what happens in schools. It is, therefore, reasonable to assume that the same aspects matter in teacher education. Yet, teacher educators have, until recently, largely been ignored by researchers and policymakers alike, who have focused on structures of teacher education and the outcomes from student teachers’ participation in different training routes instead. ReConTEP addressed this knowledge gap and focused directly on the professionalism of teacher educators, whom we broadly defined as professionals involved in the initial preparation of student teachers. The objective of this research was to understand the content of teacher educators’ professionalism by looking at how it actually operates in practice. We were interested in investigating what teacher educators actually do and why, and how this influences student teachers’ (opportunities for) learning, as opposed to normative definitions of what teacher educators should do (e.g. in terms of lists of required competences or standards). ReConTEP resulted in a systematic and empirically validated conceptualization of teacher educators’ professionalism, which is new to this emerging field of research and offers a strong basis for future research. Results also have direct knowledge utilization purposes for teacher educators themselves by opening up the dynamics of practice that usually remain hidden from view.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The need for a competent teaching force as a warrant for high quality education remains a central concern in many countries. Paradoxically, research focusing directly on the professional knowledge of teacher educators remains scarce. The implicit assumption is that a teacher educator simply teaches (his/her subject) in higher education and that teaching novice teachers does not require any additional preparation or expertise. As a result, a research-based understanding of teacher educators' professionalism is missing. This project addresses this knowledge gap and focuses on how teacher educators make sense of their work and enact their expertise. More specifically, we will study the content of teacher educators’ professionalism by looking at how it actually operates in practice. Drawing on positioning theory, we frame teacher education practices as discursive practices in which teacher educators position both themselves and their student teachers in particular ways. These positionings strongly impact student teachers' (possibilities for) learning. Data collection includes videotaping of teacher education practices, biographical interviews (with teacher educators), questionnaires (with student teachers), and document analysis. This project will result in a systematic conceptualization of teacher educators' professionalism which is new to the field and offers a strong basis for future research. Results will also have direct knowledge utilization purposes for teacher educators themselves by opening powerful perspectives for them to understand possible threats to the effectiveness of their practice and actively work towards its improvement.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON · LondonCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union