Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Fostering Teacher Educators’ Professional Development on Practice-Based Research Through Communities of Inquiry

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Vocations and Learning Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Practice-based research and supervising students’ research has become an important task for higher vocational institutes, including the teacher education departments. However, conducting practice-based research is not always common practice for a great number of teacher educators. Therefore, professional development activities are undertaken to support teacher educators in their new role as a researcher. This paper reports on one of those activities: a community of inquiry in which teacher educators conducted a collaborative research on a shared topic derived from their practices, in order to examine teacher educators’ professional development and to identify key characteristics for setting up such a community. All participants reported developments in practice-based research skills and knowledge, and developments regarding supervising students’ research. In addition, they reported on developments in their beliefs regarding research and on the topic under research. They also reported the impact of the community on other parts of their profession. Commitment, time, teacher educators as experienced researchers and completing the research stages are identified as key characteristics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Admiraal, W., Lockhorst, D., & Pol, J. v. d. (2012). An expert study of a descriptive model of teacher communities. Learning Environments Research, 15, 345–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avalos, B. (2011). Teacher professional development in teaching and teacher education over ten years. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(1), 10–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) (2008). Standards for Teacher Educators. http://www.ate1.org/pubs/Standards.cfm, retrieved March 2015.

  • Barak, J., Gidron, A., & Turniansky, B. (2010). Without stones there is no arch’: a study of professional development of teacher educators as a team. Professional Development in Education, 36, 275–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BERA (2014). The role of research in teacher education: reviewing the evidence. BERA: Interim report of the BERA-RSA inquiry. London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beauchamp, G., Clarke, L., Hulme M., & Murray, J. (2013). Policy and practice within the United Kingdom. Research and Teacher Education: The BERA-RSA Inquiry. Paper 1, https://www.bera.ac.uk/project/research-and-teacher-education.

  • Borg, S., & Alshumaimeri, Y. (2012). University teacher educators' research engagement: perspectives from Saudi Arabia. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(3), 347–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, P., Harris, K., & Murray, J. ([2007] 2011). Becoming a Teacher Educator. Guidelines for the Induction of Newly Appointed Lecturers in Initial Teacher Education. Bristol: Higher Education Academy, Education Subject Centre.

  • Chetty, R., & Lubben, F. (2010). The scholarship of research in teacher education in a higher education institution in transition: issues of identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(4), 813–820.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christie, D., & Menter, I. (2009). Research capacity building in teacher education: Scottish collaborative approaches. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 35(4), 337–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A. (2001). The recent landscape of teacher education: critical points and possible conjectures. Teaching and Teacher Education, 17, 599–611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, D., & Hollingsworth, H. (2002). Elaborating a model of teacher professional growth. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 947–967.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cochran-Smith, M. (2003). Learning and unlearning: the education of teacher educators. Teaching and Teacher Education, 19, 5–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cochran-Smith, M. (2005). Teacher educators as researchers: multiple perspectives. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21, 219–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. (2009). Inquiry as stance. Practitioner research for the next generation. New York: Teacher College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2000). Research methods in education. London: Routledge Falmer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dengerink, J. J., Lunenberg, M., & Kools, Q. (2015). What and how teacher educators prefer to learn. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 41(1), 78–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erixon Arreman, I. (2008). The Process of Finding a Shape: stabilizing new research structures in Swedish teacher education, 2000–2007. European Educational Research Journal, 7 (2). 157–176. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/eerj.2008.7.2.157.

  • European Commission (2013). Supporting teacher educators. EC: Brussels.

    Google Scholar 

  • Earley, P., & Porritt, V. (2010). Effective practices in continuing professional development: lessons from schools. London: Institute of Education, University of London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furlong, J., & Oancea, A. (2007). Assessing quality in applied and practice-based research in education: continuing the debate. Research Papers in Education, 22(2), 115–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher, T., Griffin, S., Ciuffetelli-Parker, D., Kitchen, J., & Figg, C. (2011). Establishing and sustaining teacher educator professional development in a self-study community of practice: Pre-tenure teacher educators developing professionally. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(5), 880–890.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, D.R., Anderson, T. & Archer, W. (2001). Critical thinking, cognitive presence, and computer conferencing in distance education. American Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 7–23.

  • Gilroy, P., & McNamara, O. (2009). A critical history of research assessment in the United Kingdom and its post-1992 impact on education. Journal of Education for Teaching, 35(4), 321–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin, A. L., & Kosnik, C. (2013). Quality teacher educators = quality teachers? Conceptualizing essential domains of knowledge for those who teach teachers. Teacher Development, 17(3), 334–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths, V., Thompson, S., & Hryniewicz, L. (2010). Developing a research profile: mentoring and support for teacher educators. Professional Development in Education, 36(1–2), 245–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, P., Wineburg, S., & Woolworth, S. (2001). Toward a theory of teacher community. The Teachers College Record, 103, 942–1012.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groundwater-Smith, S., & Mockler, M. (2007). Ethics in practitioner research: an issue of quality. Research Papers in Education, 22(2), 199–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hadar, L., & Brody, D. (2010). From isolation to symphonic harmony: building a professional development community among teacher educators. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(8), 1641–1651.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heggen, K., Karseth, B., & Kyvik, S. (2010). The relevance of research for the improvement of education and professional practice. In S. Kyvik, & B. Lepori (Eds.), The research mission of higher education institutions outside the university sector, The Research, Higher Education Dynamics (vol. 31, pp. 45–60). Dordrecht: Springer Science and Business Media B.V.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hoban, G. (2007). Creating a self-study group. Chicago: Paper presented at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, M. B. (2002). Professional development to promote school-wide inquiry. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 243–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kyvik, S., & Lepori, B. (Eds.) (2010). The research mission of higher education institutions outside the university sector, The Research, Higher Education Dynamics (vol. 31, ). Dordrecht: Springer Science and Business Media B.V.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kosnik, C., Menna, L., Dharamshi, P., Miyata, C., Cleovoulou, Y., & Beck, B. (2015). Four spheres of knowledge required: an international study of the professional development of literacy/English teacher educators. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 41(1), 52–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koster, B., & Dengerink, J. (2008). Professional standards for teacher educators: how to deal with complexity, ownership and function. Experiences from The Netherlands. European. Journal of Teacher Education, 31(2), 135–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (2002). Legitimate peripheral participation in communities of practice. In R. Harrison, F. Reeve, A. Hanson, & J. Clarke (Eds., Vol. 1.), Supporting life-long learning: Perspectives on learning London: Routledge Falmer, pp. 111–126.

  • Lepori, B. (2008). Research in non-university higher education institutions. The case of the Swiss universities of applied sciences. Higher Education, 56, 45–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livingston, K., McCall, J., & Morgado, M. (2009). Teacher educators as researchers. In A. Swennen, & M. van der Klink (Eds.), Becoming a teacher educator (pp. 191–203). Houten: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Loughran, J. (2011). On becoming a teacher educator. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 37(3), 279–291.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loughran, J. (2014). Professionally developing as a teacher educator. Journal of Teacher Education, 65(4), 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lunenberg, M., Dengerink, J., & Korthagen, F. (2014). The professional teacher educator. Roles, behaviour, and professional development of teacher educators. Rotterdam/Boston/Taipei: Sense Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lunenberg, M. L., Ponte, P., & Ven, P.H. van de (2007). Why shouldn’t teachers and teacher educators conduct research on their own practices? An epistemological exploration. European Educational Research Journal, 6, 13–24.

  • Lunenberg, M., & Willemse, T. M. (2006). Research and professional development of teacher educators. European Journal of Teacher Education, 29, 81–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lunenberg, M., Zwart, R., & Korthagen, F. (2010). Critical issues in supporting self-study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26, 1280–1289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case learning applications in education. San Francisco, NC: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, J., Jones, M., McNamara, O., & Stanley, G. (2009). Capacity = expertise × motivation × opportunities: factors in capacity building in teacher education in England. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 35(4), 391–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, J. (2010). Towards a new language of scholarship in teacher educators' professional learning? Professional Development in Education, 36(1/2), 197–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, J., Czerniawski, G., & Barber, P. (2011). Teacher educators' identities and work in England at the beginning of the second decade of the twenty-first century. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 37(3), 261–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oancea, A., & Furlong, J. (2007). Expressions of excellence and the assessment of applied and practice-based research. Research Papers in Education, 22(2), 119–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (4th ed., ). London/NewDelhi: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shea, P., & Bidjerano, T. (2009). Community of inquiry as a theoretical framework to foster "epistemic engagement" and "cognitive presence" in online education. Computers & Education, 52, 543–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. (2003). So, what about the professional development of teacher educators? European Journal of Teacher Education, 26(2), 201–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K. (2005). Teacher educators' expertise: what do novice teachers and teacher educators say? Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(2), 177–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoll, L., Bolam, R., McMahon, A., Wallace, M., & Thomas, S. (2006). Professional learning communities: a review of the literature. Journal of Educational Change, 7, 221–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swennen, A., Jones, K., & Volman, M. (2010). Teacher educators: their identities, Sub-identities and implications for professional development. Professional Development in Education, 36(1–2), 131–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tack, H., & Vanderlinde, R. (2014). Teacher educators' professional development: towards a typology of teacher educators' researcherly disposition. British Journal of Educational Studies, 62(3), 297–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tatto, M.T. (2013). The Role of Research in International Policy and Practice in Teacher Education. Research and Teacher Education: The BERA-RSA Inquiry. Paper 2, https://www.bera.ac.uk/project/research-and-teacher-education.

  • Vanassche, E., & Kelchtermans, G. (2014). Teacher educators' professionalism in practice: positioning theory and personal interpretative framework. Teaching and Teacher Education, 44, 117–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vescio, V., Ross, D., & Adams, A. (2008). A review of research on the impact of professional learning communities on teaching practice and student learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24, 80–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vrijnsen-De Corte, M. (2012). Researching the teacher-researcher. Practice-based research in Dutch Professional Development Schools. Eindhoven: Tu/e, dissertation.

  • Weert, E. d., & Leijnse, F. (2010). Practice-oriented research: the extended function of Dutch universities of applied sciences. In S. Kyvik, & B. Lepori (Eds.), The research mission of higher education institutions outside the university sector, The Research, Higher Education Dynamics (vol. 31, pp. 199–217). Dordrecht: Springer Science and Business Media B.V.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Willemse, T. M., & Boei, F. (2013). Teacher educators' research practices: an explorative study on teacher educators' perceptions on research. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 39(4), 354–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeichner, K. M. (2003). Teacher research as professional development for P-12 educators in the USA. Educational Action Research, 11(2), 301–326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zellermayer, M., & Tabak, E. (2006). Knowledge construction in a teachers' community of enquiry: a possible road map. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 12(1), 33–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, P.O. Box 10090, 8000, GB Zwolle, The Netherlands

    T. Martijn Willemse, Fer Boei & Marieke Pillen

Authors
  1. T. Martijn Willemse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fer Boei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marieke Pillen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Martijn Willemse.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Willemse, T.M., Boei, F. & Pillen, M. Fostering Teacher Educators’ Professional Development on Practice-Based Research Through Communities of Inquiry. Vocations and Learning 9, 85–110 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-015-9142-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-015-9142-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation