Practicing what we teach: inquiry-based learning for teacher educators

Purpose To investigate the factors that supported inquiry and professional learning for teacher educators in a summer virtual reading retreat. Design/methodology/approach Positioned within the frame of intimate scholarship, this qualitative interview study was similar to a phenomenological approach (Bogdan & Biklen, 2003; Koro-Ljungberg et al., 2009) and designed to foreground the perceptions of the virtual summer reading retreat participants. Findings This study found that the following factors supported inquiry and professional learning for teacher educators: voluntary participation, an absence of a required end product, grouping participants with similar interests and values who came from different contexts and responsibilities shared among members of the group. Originality/value This study provides insight into the benefits of an innovative form of professional learning and the factors that contributed to its success.