Article 2018

Uncovering a hidden professional agenda for teacher educators: A mixed method study on Flemish teacher educators and their professional development

TH
Tack, Hanne
 VM
Valcke, Martin M.A.
 RI
Rots, Isabel
 SK
Struyven, Katrien
 VR
Vanderlinde, Ruben
European Journal of Teacher Education
Journal · Vol. 41 · Issue 1 · pp. 86-104
Abstract

Taking into account the pressing need to understand more about what teacher educators’ professional development characterises, this article adopts a mixed method approach to explore Flemish (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) teacher educators’ professional development needs and opportunities. Analysis results of a large-scale survey study with 611 teacher educators and analysis of five qualitative focus groups (with 24 teacher educators) are presented. The results confirm the lack of attention for teacher educators’ professional development in the Flemish teacher education system. Moreover, the findings indicate a structural need for participation in professional development activities that are linked to teacher educators’ own practices, organised as long-term sustainable professional development trajectories, and formally recognised. To conclude, a professional development agenda for research, policy and practices related to teacher educators’ professional development is discussed. © 2017 Association for Teacher Education in Europe.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Professional Development Teacher Education teacher educators mixed method study

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Educational Studies, Universiteit Gent, Ghent, VOV, Belgium
Study Department, Brussels, Belgium
Department of Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, BRU, Belgium
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
References 10 References
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9 Research Design Qualitative Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches, (2003)
10 Czerniawski, Gerry, The professional developmental needs of higher education-based teacher educators: an international comparative needs analysis, European Journal of Teacher Education, 40, 1, pp. 127-140, (2017)
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