Exploring the professional development needs of new teacher educators situated solely in school: pedagogical knowledge and professional identity

Abstract

This paper investigates the experiences of secondary teachers within their workplace as they take on the role of leading subject knowledge development days for small groups of student-teachers through a case-study approach. Semi-structured interviews, the reflective journals of these teachers and the evaluations of the days by the student-teachers were used as the data-gathering methods; the teachers involved were ‘conversational partners' in the research. Themes were recognised that characterised the developing perceptions and practices of these new teacher educators. The findings reveal a number of professional development needs of new teacher educators situated solely in school, some similar with those situated in higher educational institutions, including fostering an understanding that modelling needs to be made explicit to student-teachers. This has important implications with the introduction of Teaching Schools with responsibilities for educating student-teachers in England. Suggestions are shared for nurturing teachers taking on this additional role as they develop their new identity and professional knowledge and skills whilst not situated geographically within a local community of practice.