The current study is part of the larger study conducted by InFoTED which examined the professional learning needs of teacher educators. The data was gathered internationally through a survey with closed and open ended questions. For the purpose of this presentation we have analysed the data from Norway regarding: How do Norwegian teacher educators describe their professional learning opportunities? What are their most important learning needs and how might these needs be met within the contexts of teacher education in Norway? Teacher educators in Norway work either at university colleges or universities. Traditionally university colleges educate teachers for primary and lower secondary schools, universities for secondary schools. At the universities teacher educators teach pedagogy (educational theory) or subject didactics. At the university colleges they also teach specific subjects in which didactics are included. Norwegian teacher education has been criticised for being fragmented and not relevant (Finne et al., 2014; Lid, 2013). Furthermore, student teachers criticise the quality of teaching (ibid). In an attempt to improve teacher education a new national framework was developed which emphasises increased subject knowledge, teaching skills, and with an emphasis on research (Ministry of Education and Research, 2013). Teacher educators’ professional competence is not discussed. The survey included a representative selection of teacher education institutions. 76 teacher educators answered, 40 from universities, 36 from university colleges. Findings inform that all, except one, conduct research in their job, and all are involved with teaching. The most valued learning activities are professional reading and academic writing. Norwegian teacher educators want to become more research competent, to be updated on current developments, to engage in academic writing and to research personal practice. They are unsure of how to go about fulfilling their learning needs, yet more time is mentioned. 43 of the 76 respondents have a PhD, yet they still want to develop their academic skills. This can be explained by the pressure on teacher educators to publish (Elstad, 2010). The findings support Smith’s (2011) claim that being a teacher educator in Norway is a multifaceted role. Before talking about professional development activities, it might therefore be necessary to clarify the professional responsibilities of teacher educators. In the paper, we will elaborate and discuss the findings and suggest implications from the study.

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