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ABSTRACT
This paper focuses on the Janus face-teacher educator and researcher. Drawing on existing international literature, our aim is to position ourselves in the discussion relating to our own and other research. In this paper we limit ourselves to discuss two main components, namely teaching and research in relation to which teacher educators seem to experience a rather strong tension. We maintain that the quality of teaching does not become inferior to research and publishing in teacher education. This necessitates that sufficient resources are provided for assuring the quality of teaching and for research; subsequently the two activities are complementary and not contradictory to each other. Our claim is that teacher educators in most settings are Janus-faced due to the competing demands of excellence in both research and teaching. However, we strongly believe that the two main responsibilities of teacher educators which form the Janus face, can melt into each other in the face of a researching teacher educator.
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Additional information
Notes on contributors
Kari Smith
Kari Smith is a Professor (Ph.D.) of education at the Department of Teacher Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Her main research interests are mainly teacher education, professional development, mentoring novice teachers and assessment for and of learning. She has acted as the Head of Teacher Education programs abroad as well as at the University of Bergen, Norway. Currently she is the Head of the Norwegian National Research School in Teacher Education (NAFOL). She was the project leader of the International Forum for Teacher Educator Development (InFo-TED) from 2013-2019.
Maria Assunção Flores
Maria Assunção Flores is a Professor (Ph.D.) of education at the University of Minho, Portugal. She has published extensively in international and national journals, books and book chapters. Her research interests include teacher education and professional development, teacher evaluation, curriculum, assessment, teacher identity and higher education. She was the Chair of the International Study Association on Teachers and Teaching (ISATT) between 2013 and 2019. She is currently President of the Board of Estreiadiálogos (The International Collaborative Action Research Network for the Portuguese speaking countries).