The Impossible Role of Teacher Educators in a Changing World

The thesis of this article is that the external demands placed on teacher education at the present time, combined with inherent professional needs of teachers and student teachers, create a nearly impossible situation for teacher educators. The article starts with a brief analysis of some of the external demands and constraints on teacher education: globalization, professionalization, and the call of many experts to teach for understanding. These external demands are exacerbated by teachers’ needs for certainty and control, and the frequent gaps between teachers’ professional self-images and the demands of their teaching contexts also contribute to the complexities of the role of teacher educators. The article concludes with a discussion of the societal implications of the current situation.