Further Education’s teacher educators: who are they, what is their work, and what are their professional development priorities?

New research from the University of Huddersfield explores an often-overlooked part of the further education system.

Teacher educators based within Further Education (FE) settings play an important role in shaping the next generation of teachers through initial teacher education (ITE). But despite this important influence on teaching quality and workforce capacity, little is known about who these professionals are, how they work, or the support they need to do their jobs well.

A new report from researchers at the University of Huddersfield, commissioned by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, provides fresh insight into this group. Led by Dr Kate Lavender, Professor Kevin Orr, Dr David Powell and Dr Rachel Terry, the research focuses on teacher educators working in FE colleges in England and offers an exploration of backgrounds, roles and professional priorities.

Drawing on a literature review and survey of 118 of FE’s teacher educators, the study shows that they often come into their roles after substantial experience as FE teachers, bringing a wealth of practical knowledge with them. Their work typically spans teaching trainee teachers and, for some, leading teacher education or professional development activity within their organisations.

However, the research also highlights that pathways into these roles are not always clear or formalised. Teacher educator roles were found to be held by a relatively homogenous group of white, middle-aged women with a variety of occupation or subject area backgrounds. Survey responses suggest that teacher educators less frequently come from backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, or technical or vocational subjects such as construction.

Surveyed teacher educators describe their work as satisfying but challenging, and identify professional development needs that include curriculum support, research-informed teaching and learning strategies, and networking opportunities to mitigate professional isolation.

The report points to a need for greater attention to FE teacher educators within policy, research and professional development. Understanding who these individuals are, and how they work, can represent an important step towards strengthening initial teacher education and supporting the sustainability of the FE workforce.

With further support from Gatsby, the research team are now underway examining similar questions with teacher educators based in Higher Education.

The full report is now available here.