Supporting the Professional Development of Science Teacher Educators Through Shadowing

Despite calls for more attention to the preparation of those who prepare teachers, there have been few examples of institutionally sanctioned and structured learning opportunities created to equip faculty with the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective teacher educators. In this paper, we describe a cross-disciplinary and collaborative initiative that involves shadowing of colleagues as a means of supporting the professional learning of science teacher educators. We illustrate the unique affordance of this model and highlight our professional learning across multiple dimensions: cognitive, practical, relational, and emotional. We illustrate how shadowing can support the learning of faculty at different career stages and from different disciplinary backgrounds and entry points to teacher education through a series of vignettes of shadowing in a variety of course contexts. Finally, we offer considerations for the transferability of our model to other institutions and contexts, and how further research conducted in the context of shadowing could help deepen our understanding of the knowledge base of science teacher educators and how this knowledge is developed.