CONCEPTUALIZING THE PRACTICES OF EXPERT TEACHER EDUCATORS: WHAT ARE THEY DOING THAT LET THEIR STUDENT TEACHERS LEARN BETTER?

The study aimed at exploring and conceptualizing teaching practices of expert teacher educators in the way that may result in development of teaching model. The study involved two contexts: Teacher Education Program for Secondary Education based at University of Verona (Italy) and similar program offered by Jimma University (Ethiopia). Phenomenological approach employed to guide the overall process of the study including selection of participants, tools and procedures for data collection and analysis. 30 expert teacher educators (15 from each university) participated in the study. Discursive interview was used to collect evidences from them. Grounded Theory and narrative method were used in the attempt of conceptualizing teaching practices of experts. Accordingly, 13 core practices were emerged and defined. These are: (1) Contextualizing teaching, (2) Creating powerful learning environment, (3) Enhancing interaction, (4) Mastering contents, (5) Establishing interpersonal rapport, (6) Organizing learning, (7) Modeling desirable practices, (8) Letting student teachers learn teaching in practice, (9) Making evidence-based teaching, (10) Communicating expectations, (11) Integrating assessment with learning, (12) Creating conducive learning environment, and (13) Using Information Communication Technologies. Putting all 13 teaching practices emerged with indicative lines solicited form literatures on teaching or training models, finally inclusive model of teaching practices for teacher educators was designed. The model contains three main components with five cyclic stages: exploring and conceptualizing the gap, building personal theory, using the built theory as a tool for learning, simulating teaching, and evaluation.