The Reluctant Teacher Educator

By Kate Walsh

Teacher education could, if it wanted to, now lay claim to a sizable (though hardly complete) body of empirical knowledge cutting across many fronts of teacher preparation. The fact that is does not (yet, anyway) makes for a puzzling phenomenon, given that it works against its own self-interest. This paper reviews the evidence for teacher education's antipathy towards the content and practices which would bring it greater legitimacy, and explores some of the reasons why the field is so reluctant to incorporate the findings of strong research. We also acknowledge those teacher educators who have gravitated to more research-driven content, though many remain professionally isolated from their colleagues.