‘What's the Essence of This Profession?’ Spanish Teacher Educators' Post‐Pandemic Conceptualizations of Work, Pre‐Service Teachers and Emotions

ABSTRACT This paper reports on an interpretive phenomenological study that examined the lived experiences of teacher educators in Spain. Responding to a lack of research on teacher educators, the study sought to make sense of the participants' work in the current, post‐pandemic context. A framework that emphasized the dialectical relationship between agency and structures was used to interpret the participants' narratives. Three themes emerged to illustrate the essence of their work: wrestling with complex changes in students; responding to new technologies; and expanding their knowledge and instructional practices in teacher preparation. The participants also described a range of emotions that arose in response to these issues, which served as a thread across the themes. Implications and recommendations are discussed, including a stronger focus on well‐being for teacher educators and pre‐service teachers, additional professional learning opportunities and dedicated time and space for international and cross‐institutional work among teacher educators.