Teacher Educators: Perceptions, Self-Views and Participation in a Community of Practice

Abstract

This study utilised an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to explore the perceptions and self-views of teacher educators as they engage in a community of practice. One hundred and twelve school-based and university-based teacher educators were purposively drawn from primary and secondary schools as well as tertiary-level institutions in Trinidad and Tobago. One-way ANOVA and independent samples t-tests were used to analyse differences between the teacher educator groups in the first phase of the study, while structured open-ended interviews were conducted in the second phase to explicate quantitative results obtained in the first phase. Results indicate that there was a statistically significant difference in teacher educators’ perceptions about themselves as members of a professional group, F(2, 107)=4.62, p=.012. Findings also suggest that while school-based teacher educators feel far more included in policy-making decisions at their institution than university-based teacher educators, university-based teacher educators place a higher value on professional learning activities than their school-based counterparts.