From Teacher to Trainer: What Changes? Or Does It?

Time on the job does not ensure professional growth and successful teachers are those who continue to develop throughout their professional lives (Ur, 1991, ). The little research on the characteristics and competencies of successful trainers who guide teachers through their professional growth conclude that the knowledge and competencies of effective trainers are similar to those of effective teachers (Leach, 1996).This study investigates (1) whether the qualities, skills and knowledge systems that effective teacher educators possess are similar to those attributed to successful teachers, (2) whether experience impacts trainers’ perceptions of the qualities, skills and knowledge that effective teacher educators have, and (3) whether these perceptions relate to the expectations of teachers as regards trainer qualities and competencies.Data were collected through a survey in which trainers were asked to list the qualities, skills and knowledge domains of effective teacher trainers, and to choose the top 10 most important in each category. The responses were collated to determine frequency and importance, and examined statistically to see whether experience played a significant role in choice and rating. The qualities, skills and knowledge domains that emerged from the survey were compiled to form a questionnaire and administered to teachers with varying levels of experience. The findings from this questionnaire were compared with findings from the survey. The results yielded implications for both the selection of potential teacher trainers as well as the content of trainer training programs.