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Article published In:
Teacher education and professional development for immersion and content-based instruction: Research on programs, practices, and teacher educators
Edited by Laurent Cammarata and T.J. Ó Ceallaigh
[Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education 6:2] 2018
► pp. 218–243

Unpacking dimensions of immersion teacher educator identity

| Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick
| Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick
| Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick

Inadequate teacher preparation for immersion programs remains a challenge. While there is a significant dearth of research on teacher development in immersion education, research focusing on immersion teacher educators (ITEs) is even more scant. Using self-study methodology, this study explores the professional learning and experiences of three teacher educators (TEs) as they construct new professional identities as ITEs as part of engagement in Lesson Study. The paper particularly focuses on two Mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) who were newcomers to the immersion education setting. A community of practice (CoP) framework was utilised to provide insights into what Vygotsky (1987) terms the twisting path of all three TEs as they engaged in the CoP. Critical moments of defending content as priority, negotiating an integrated space, and becoming immersion-responsive were revealed. CoP played a vital role in facilitating new professional identities and illuminates in multiple ways the exclusive and complex process of becoming an ITE.

Keywords: immersion teacher educator (ITE), professional identity, initial teacher education, professional development, self-study, community of practice (CoP)
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.A focus on the teacher educator
    • 2.1Teacher educator identity
    • 2.2Ways of developing teacher educator identity
  • 3.Immersion education and immersion teacher education in the Republic of Ireland: Issues and tensions
  • 4.Context of our study
  • 5.Methodology
    • 5.1Participants and procedure
    • 5.2Data collection
    • 5.3Data analysis
  • 6.Findings
    • 6.1Defending content as priority
    • 6.2Negotiating an integrated space
    • 6.3Becoming immersion-responsive
  • 7.Discussion
  • 8.Conclusions
  • References
Published online: 23 October 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jicb.17026.lea
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