IntroductionThis paper focuses on the professional and academic development of teacher educators in relation to research. It draws on findings from a small-scale, comparative study of teacher educators in two higher education institutions in the south of England. There is a growing need for teacher educators in the UK to develop research skills (Harrison & McKeon 2008), because of the emphasis on research assessment in higher education (HE) and increasing expectations on all university lecturers to have an active research profile. In addition, most postgraduate initial teacher education is now accredited at master's level and often involves some small scale research, therefore teacher educators need to ensure that they possess the appropriate research as well as teaching skills.Within this context, the growing need for teacher educators to develop research identities is discussed in relation to mentoring and support in two universities (one new, the other well established). Key contextual features of each university are highlighted and the perspectives of the teacher educators and research mentors are analysed within a situated learning framework (Lave & Wenger 1991). Positive aspects of individual and collective mentoring practices and other forms of research support are identified, as well as barriers to research activity arising from teacher educators' professional and academic roles. Teacher educators: transition from school to universityA growing body of research on the development of teacher educators has highlighted the difficulties and tensions experienced by teacher educators who make the transition from school teaching into academic life, especially in the area of research, and the need for effective induction procedures into higher education . For example, Dinkelman et al. (2008), also in the UK, argue that teacher educators face numerous challenges in making the complex transition into new academic roles; they can therefore lack confidence and often still see themselves as teachers. Similarly, Murray (2008) stresses that teacher educators are characterised by a strong sense of commitment to students, with teaching as their 'anchor of professional identity ' (2008:119), low self confidence in relation to academic roles and varying attitudes to research. Murray (2008) found that induction into research was particularly weak, with few opportunities to work alongside experienced researchers in a 'collaborative learning environment ' (2008:126). developing a professional identity and the value of role models as a key factor. Like the UK studies, these have stressed the value of within-team development and support practices, rather than outside mentoring and support, although these projects are generally focusing on teacher educators improving their professional or subject pedagogy, rather 3 than on developing research identities. On a wider scale, the importance of personal and professional biographies in the shaping of academic identities is also emphasised by some researchers (Keltchtermans 2003, Skerr...

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