Professional identity of teacher educators in the digital era in light of demands of pedagogical innovation

The study examines teacher educators' perceptions regarding pedagogical innovation. 27 semi-structured interviews were analyzed using three modes of existence composing their professional identity with regards to pedagogical innovation: being, the conceptual component; doing, the practical component; and having, the environmental support component. Findings show that the "being" component is the dominant mode of existence and is strongly connected to construction of professional selves. Also, demands of the digital era compel teacher educators to re-examine their professional identity vis-à-vis technology-integrated teaching. Institutional support was vital for professional identity construction. Findings assist in understanding professional identity construction of innovative teacher educators.