Supporting the professional development of ‘hybrid’ teacher educators in the Further Education sector

Abstract

Teacher educators are crucial for the quality of the teaching workforce and therefore to the outcomes of learners. However, teachers frequently become teacher educators with little or no professional development to support them in these roles. In this paper we report on a professional development programme which aimed to address this gap in provision for practitioners operating in the dual role of teacher and teacher educator in the Further Education and Skills sector in England.

Using evaluative data from interviews and questionnaires, we found that the programme was successful in supporting a diverse group of participants to reflect on and develop their practice. It increased participants’ confidence in their roles as teacher educators, by supporting learning about the practice of teacher education. Participants valued a sense of belonging to a community of learning. Reflecting participants’ dual roles as teachers and teacher educators, they applied learning to their practice in multiple ways with colleagues, beginning teachers and with students.

Our findings contribute to understanding the ways in which practitioners in ‘hybrid’ roles as teacher and teacher educators can be supported, and offer a model through which this can be provided, across all phases of education.