TEACHER EDUCATORS IN THE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO CONTEXT: Perspectives From the Field

Abstract

Quality education is sought after by all countries and much effort is expended to ensure the preparation of quality teachers. There is, however, another component of the education loop which is often overlooked and that is the teacher educator - the teacher of teachers. A commonly held belief is that to ensure quality education, there is need for quality teachers and, as such, quality teacher educators become a critical element.  Yet, in Trinidad and Tobago, little is known about teacher educators. This study, therefore, seeks to explore their work, roles, responsibilities, and contribution in the sphere of teacher education. Semi-structured interviews, an open-ended questionnaire and document analysis were employed to gain insights into the nature of their work as it is perceived in the Trinidad and Tobago context. Preliminary findings revealed that teacher educators perceived their work to be multi-dimensional and multi-faceted and that they see themselves as a powerful influence in the sphere of education. Yet, in their view, teacher education is a job for which there is little preparation and professional development is, in the main, unstructured, and self-directed.