31.022 - Teacher Educators' Professional Development: Paradigms and Approaches

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

Although the work, identity and professional development of teacher educators is still an under-researched area, professional development of teacher educators has recently received more attention. In several countries standards for Teacher educators have been developed. The value of such standards will be examined critically in this symposium and a number of alternative pathways for teacher educators’ professional development will be presented. In the first paper we evaluate the state of affairs in Flanders: profiles and professional development efforts of teacher educators are mapped out. Then three alternative approaches for teacher educators’ professional development are discussed: learning from good examples of practice, teacher education practitioner research, and collaborative teacher research in communities of pre-service teachers, experienced teachers and teacher educators.

Sub Unit

• Flemish Forum for Educational Research - VFO

Chair

• Nadine S.L. Engels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Papers

• Teacher Educators' Professional Development: An Evaluation Study - Katrien Struyven, Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Martin M. Valcke, Ghent University; Isabel Rots, Ghent University; Esther Gheyssens, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

• Beyond the Blueprint Toward a Practice-Based Approach of Teacher Educators' Professionalism - Geert Kelchtermans, University of Leuven

• Teacher Educators’ Professional Development: The Development of a Researcherly Disposition - Hanne Tack, Ghent University; Ruben Vanderlinde, Ghent University

• Creating Hybrid Learning Spaces. Collaborative Teacher Research in Communities of Experienced Teachers, Pre-service Teachers and Teacher Educators - Vicky Willegems, Vrije Universiteit Brussel; Nadine S.L. Engels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Discussant

• Eline Vanassche, Catholic Universiteit Leuven