Search results for: Murray Jean

The present article focuses on a virtual research environment (VRE) and how it facilitated the networking of teacher educators participating in an Economic and Social Research Council-funded research capacity-building project. The authors argue that three main factors affected the use of the VRE, and in particular its wiki tool: the individual’s motivation to learn and to engage with (more) new technologies; the emerging dynamics of each research group as they developed shared working practices; and the institutional climates, which supported or discouraged the individuals’ engagement with both the technology and a regional Teacher Education Research Network that used this technology.

This paper reports on part of the study of teacher educators in England which entitled ‘The Academic Tribe of Teacher Educators’ (A3TE). The purpose of A3TE was to examine teacher educators' constructions of their own identities in the academic communities within two university schools of education. The findings reveal that teacher educators in both universities constructed repertoires of identities for themselves. Although entry into the university often triggered a complex and shifting process of the (re)construction of identity around practice as a teacher educator and academic engagement, many of the teacher educators still saw one of their identities as that of ‘once-a-school teacher’.

This paper draws on an analysis of relevant research and an illustrative case study of one teacher educator’s learning to debate how well-framed practitioner research might give some ways forward in devising appropriate professional learning provision for teacher educators entering Higher Education from work in schools. The article raises a number of issues about the long-term value and importance of the proposed type of research as part of teacher educators’ induction and professional development, with particular reference to the current situation for educational research in England.

The need for capacity-building in teacher education in the UK has been raised as a serious issue by a number of commentators. This paper provides an analytical account of an initiative conducted by the Teacher Education Group (TEG) to build research capacity in teacher education. With reference to a review of the national contexts for research in the UK and research on teacher educators, the article argues that, in order to build research capacity initiatives we need to provide motivation and new types of networking opportunities for researchers, as well as developing their expertise.