“What if it's been space all this time?”: Understanding the spatiality of language teacher education

Abstract

Space is critical in teacher education because it shapes and is shaped by different aspects of teacher learning. This study examines how a group of language teacher educators and student-teachers understood space and the effects of that understanding on their practices and conceptions before, during, and after Covid-19 restrictions. Set in Argentina, the study collected data by means of walking interviews, drawings, photos, and follow-up interviews. Qualitative content analysis shows that space and matter can exert a powerful influence on educational trajectories as they affect educational actors’ wellbeing, perceptions, and practices. The study proposes a model of spatiality of language teacher education.