Matters of complexity: an analysis of the dilemmas and tensions faced by teacher educators from the Lifelong Learning sector when using modelling with student teachers from vocational settings

Modelling is a teaching method employed by teacher educators to
demonstrate, explain, debate and theorise their practice and so support
the learning of their student teachers. Although using modelling is judged
to be a highly effective strategy and considered one of the roles and
professional competencies of a teacher educator (Korthagen et al. 2005;
Loughran and Berry, 2005), Lunenberg et al. (2007) concluded that there
is little evidence to suggest that teacher educators fully recognise or
utilise it as a teaching method. The focus of this paper is the initial
findings from a collaborative action research project between the author
and a team of teacher educators from a general further education (FE)
college who are seeking to use modelling with their in-service student
teachers. Using an approach based on Winter’s (1982) concept of
dilemma analysis, the paper discusses the tensions, complexity and
contradictions that exist when using modelling with student teachers from
vocational settings.Thus, it focuses on the impact a teacher educator’s
professional identity has on their pedagogical decision making (Noel,
2006, Lunenberg et al. 2007, Boyd, 2011), the impact ‘organisational
field’ has on practice, and what types of modelling are being used by
these teacher educators.