This paper reports on a research study of 28 literacy teacher educators (LTE) in four countries: Canada, the USA, England and Australia. It identifies three main forms of professional development: informal, formal and communities of practice and four spheres of knowledge: research; pedagogy of higher education; literacy and literacy teaching; and current school district and government initiatives. The study reveals the sheer scale of knowledge required to be an effective LTE and demonstrates how participants used the three forms of professional development to enhance their knowledge in each sphere. It concludes that the professional development of teacher educators is not conducted systematically; rather, it is quite ad hoc with much of it occurring through learning while doing. All had to construct their own programmes for professional development, which added yet another layer to their responsibilities.
This article reports on a study of 21 mid‐career and senior literacy/English teacher educators in four countries: Canada, the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and Australia. Three main themes are discussed: identity (re)construction; knowledge development (e.g. of pedagogy; current literacy practices); and reconceptualisation of their work (courses and research). The literacy/English teacher educators had moved beyond the struggles of novice teacher educators; however, they still experienced a number of tensions. They had moved beyond identifying with and as a classroom teacher but felt that they needed to remain connected to teachers because their research is conducted in schools. They still felt less valued by their colleagues who were not actively involved in teacher education, not because they were novices, but because of their close involvement in schools. They found communities of literacy/English teacher educators beyond their university. All argued that they must continue to expand their knowledge in a number of areas but they see their continuous growth as a strength not a short‐coming. By mid‐career many created a synergy among their research, teaching, and service.
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