The Transformative Nature of Boundary-Spanning Roles in Developing Teacher Leaders: The Case of a Hybrid Teacher Educator in a Professional Development School Context

Hybrid teacher educators are school- and university-based teacher educators who work across the boundaries of schools and universities to facilitate the professional learning of teachers in the third space of school-university partnerships. This case study of ‘Sofia” examined how a reassigned classroom teacher was transformed from her four-year experience as a hybrid teacher educator in an exemplary professional development school (PDS). The findings identified four transformations: (1) deepening reflection, (2) preserving relationships, (3) prioritizing students, and (4) distributing leadership. This study has implications for clinically-based teacher education suggesting that hybrid teacher educator roles in PDSs have powerful transformative qualities and the potential for developing teacher leaders.