Becoming a community of practice–the blurred identity of clinical faculty teacher educators

Abstract

The study discusses the professional identity and aspects of professional development of Clinical Faculty Teacher Educators (CFTEs) teaching methods courses in a College of Education during a time of change. The above aspects were revealed while analyzing data collected to evaluate an in‐service professional development course for CFTEs. Data concerning the participants’ satisfaction were obtained from questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews with course participants and course organizers. The findings indicate a high level of satisfaction with the course. However, more importantly, they delineate the unique characteristics of the course participants, namely CFTEs teaching various methods courses and mentoring student teachers entering the profession. These participants form a special professional group within the teacher education institution, and their professional identity seems to be closely linked to their previous or current teaching in schools. They are expected to verbalize and teach implicit knowledge and practical aspects of teaching, in the form of clear, explicit principles, to teachers‐to‐be. The CFTEs who teach methods courses have much in common, even though they are related to different disciplines. The current study re‐emphasizes the lack of clear standards and feedback tools when defining and assessing the work of CFTEs, and the need for developing a community of learners for on‐going discussion, sharing and forging a professional identity.

Keywords:

• Clinical Faculty
• Communities of Practice
• Higher Education
• Professional Development
• Professional Identity
• Teacher Education