Abstract:
While being a teacher-educator is a complex task, the mode to train teacher-educators is yet unclear.
This question is even more relevant because education colleges thriving for academic accreditation
recruit PhDs with no field experience. The present study examines students and faculty perceptions
on the strengths and weaknesses of the learning process of student-teachers. Using qualitative
research tools we found that developing a professional identity is not seen by most of the disciplineoriented
lecturers as part of their role, and they also do not know how to perform it. The results
emphasize the importance of an appropriate balance between the theoretical foundation and
practical learning in order to provide novice teachers with the mental flexibility enabling them to act
correctly and productively in complex situations that arise in the act of teaching. Further, the study
offers guidelines for teacher-educators' professional training.
