Policy influences and dilemmas in senior teacher educators’ enacted professionalism

This study aims to understand how senior teacher educators in Israel enact their professionalism through tracking their considerations as they design teacher education programmes for former high-tech employees. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 programme leaders. We found four dilemmas they had to navigate: 1. Rejecting unsuitable candidates may endanger the programme’s existence. 2. Providing extensive preparation is desirable, yet students’ available time for studies is very limited. 3. Learning Groups provide students with emotional and professional support but constrain opportunities to practice and receive supervision. 4. Practicing in excellent schools improves teachers’ preparation, but may intensify the ‘reality shock’ when they begin teaching. We argue that national and institutional policies, currently influenced by neoliberalism, cause or exacerbate teacher educators’ professional dilemmas. Policy advocacy of teacher educators’ associations is called for.