Navigating the Terrain of Third Space: Tensions With/In Relationships in School-University Partnerships

Abstract

Using theoretical conceptions of third space and hybrid teacher education, the authors engaged in a collaborative self-study of their practices as university-based teacher educators working in student teaching partnership settings. The authors sought to understand ways in which hybrid teacher educators foster and mediate relationships to work toward a collective third space. In this article, the authors describe the nature of relationships in their work, the tensions wrought by complexities of these relationships, and ways they negotiated tensions to foster relationships that productively mediated processes of teacher education. The authors also propose a framework for moving beyond traditional notions of oppositional triadic relationships of student teacher, mentor teacher, and supervisor in recognition of complex social interactions in the third space.