Teacher Educators' Professional Development in Research-Intensive Universities: Multiple Perspectives on a Complex Phenomenon

• In Event: Reflections on Teacher Education in Global Contexts

Abstract

Teacher educators’ professional development is a rising theme in educational research, although still very little studied in Finland. Our study focuses on Finnish teacher educators, aiming to investigate the teacher educators’ own views of their professional development as well as the faculty leaders understanding and valuing of it. We have collected multiple data, containing both qualitative and quantitative data sets. The results are complex: there is no common understanding for the teacher educators or the faculty leaders of what is teacher educators’ professional development. However, all emphasize the role of research, as the Finnish TE is academic and realized in research-intensive universities. Based on this mixed method study we aim to construct a model for teacher educators’ professional development.

Authors

• Katriina Jenni Johanna Maaranen, University of Helsinki

• Reijo T. Byman, University of Helsinki

• Riitta Jyrhama, University of Helsinki, Finland

• Sara Sintonen, University of Helsinki

• Katariina Stenberg, University of Helsinki

• Heikki Valter Kynaslahti, University of Helsinki