A Case Study on Teacher Educators’ Technology Professional Development based on Student Teachers’ Perspectives in Malawi

Abstract

Student teachers' perspectives on how their teacher educators act as exemplars of using technology appropriately (or fail to do so) could create a basis for teacher educators' technology professional development (TPD). However, there is a dearth of research on student teachers' input into teacher educators' TPD, as research is dependent on self-reports of teacher educators' own competencies. This study explored teacher educators' TPD based on perspectives of student teachers. The study involved policy analysis, a survey, and interviews with student teachers in a universitybased teacher education programme in Malawi. Findings indicate that student teachers have a stake in what it means to be a professional teacher educator in Malawi. The case study has also shown the contribution of student teachers' perspectives in strengthening teacher educators' TPD. The contribution includes clarifying the image of a technologically competent teacher educator and student teachers' co-learning with teacher educators. The paper discusses scholarly and practical implications of these findings. For instance, it is suggested that teacher educators should make the co-learning process more explicit to the student teachers.

Teacher Educators’ Conceptualisation of Technology in Malawi: A Critical Perspective

“…The NGO was involved in establishing the conceptualisation of instruction technology by teacher educators that do not work in schools or colleges of education. According to the literature, unlike teacher educators working in schools and colleges of education (traditional teacher educators), little is known about those who work outside these spaces (non-traditional teacher educators) (Gondwe 2021;White 2019). The programme implemented by the NGO uses tablet technology to improve core competencies of reading, writing and mathematics for primary school children in the early grade section.…”