A1 Journal article (refereed)
Collaborative professional practice for strengthening teacher educator identities in Eritrea (2022)

Posti-Ahokas, H., Idriss, K., Hassan, M., & Isotalo, S. (2022). Collaborative professional practice for strengthening teacher educator identities in Eritrea. Journal of Education for Teaching, 48(3), 300-315. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2021.1994838

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Posti-Ahokas, Hanna; Idriss, Khalid; Hassan, Meriem; Isotalo, Sara

Journal or series: Journal of Education for Teaching

ISSN: 0260-7476

eISSN: 1360-0540

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 31/10/2021

Volume: 48

Issue number: 3

Pages range: 300-315

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2021.1994838

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/78544

Abstract

Strengthening the identities of teacher educators is critical to quality teacher education and implementing change in the education sector. This study examines the professional identities of Eritrean teacher educators and how these identities can be strengthened through collaborative professional practice in a challenging context currently under reform. The focus is on the professional capacity building activities at the College of Education in Eritrea, which were implemented in collaboration with Finnish education partners. The paper reports on findings from an action-research informed study of a semester-long series of professional development seminars and an interview study with individual teacher educators. The qualitative content analyses of seminar participants’ drawings, evaluations and interview data focus on: 1) identifying critical issues that support the formation of teacher educator identities, and 2) understanding how collaborative practice at the institutional level can support the strengthening of professional identities. The findings point to potential ways of creating critical colleagueship and more purposeful, contextually relevant approaches for professional development in teacher education. The need for strengthening the identities of teacher educators’ through bottom-up processes and in collaboration with international partners is highlighted.

Keywords: teacher training; teachers; professional development; professional identity; collaborative learning; learning organisation; international cooperation

Free keywords: teacher educator identity; collaborative professional development; critical colleagueship; Eritrea; sub-Saharan Africa; international partnerships

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1