Teacher educators’ perceptions of their profession in relation to the digitalization of society

This study takes an exploratory approach to investigating Swedish teacher educators’ perceptions regarding their profession in relation to the digitalization of society and education, including higher education. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings show that the teacher educators perceive digitalization on a scale that ranges from simply using tools to being part of a technology-initiated revolution of educational institutions and society. From this range of digital developments emanate individual, group, and organizational requirements/demands, needs, and consequences for being, that is, personal experiences of how digitalization affects the work, and acting, that is, doing something in response to the demands of using and teaching with digital technology. The teacher educator is situated primarily in being with the requirements for working professionally and acting as a teacher, which creates tensions and challenges for the individual and the professional self. Teacher educators require support to strengthen their professional identity, to facilitate activities for professional development, and to stimulate reflective practice. A further difficulty is the lack of relevant policies and strategies. This study highlights the complex challenge of teaching and learning simultaneously in a profession that implicates autonomy and responsibility of its practitioners. This creates limitations for the teacher educators to move from being to acting.

"This study highlights the complex challenge of teaching and learning simultaneously in a profession that implicates autonomy and responsibility of its practitioners. This creates limitations for the teacher educators to move from being to acting.... The study identifies in the TEs’ statements a discrepancy between directives about their work and the actual professional practice. " (Authors, 87, 104)