<P> Some recent research has highlighted the many fields of knowledge that are required by teacher educators; these include knowledge about: the pedagogy of teacher education; learning and learners; teaching and coaching; and the profession of teacher educator itself . In addition, teacher educators need to know about the specific contexts their students will work and working in (e.g. for primary, or secondary education) and the subjects they will teach . More experienced teacher educators need expertise in: curriculum development and assessment; the wider context of teacher education, the way it is organised, and in research . </P> <P> The complexity of the tasks of the teacher educator arises in part because, as research has shown, they have multiple professional identities . (This is linked to the issues of definition of the term, highlighted above). While some of those who carry responsibility for the education of teachers do self - identify as' teacher educator', others may self - identify rather as' researcher' or' academic'; others may relate primarily to their academic discipline, such as' chemist' or' geographer' </P> <P> But the key duality of identity that lies at the core of the teacher educator profession is that of first - order and second order teaching . A teacher educator must be a highly competent' first - order educator' (i.e. a good teacher) but also a skilled' second - order educator' (i.e. capable of teaching effectively about the skill of teaching and facilitating others to acquire teaching skills). As first - order educators, they need to be proficient teachers (of' adult' students). As second - order educators, they require, in addition, specific competences and dispositions, such as modelling and meta - reflection, that enable them to teach about teaching . </P> <P> The acquisition or improvement of teacher competences requires training, through which it will be improved educational planning and assessment . This results in a better learning of students, as evidences show . It is the objective of FAMT & L Comenius project, conducted at the University of Bologna, designed with the aim of promoting the correct use of formative assessment in mathematics education for students aged from 11 to 16 . Reaching this goal supposes to design training programs for teachers of mathematics, starting from identificating their needs, believes, expectations and the use of formative assessment . </P>

Justify theory and practice as a subject area in teacher education