Third Space, Boundary Crossing, and Hybrid Space as Theoretical Frameworks for Research into Transformative Literacy Teacher Preparation

How can university-based initial teacher preparation programs become a force for innovation in classroom literacy teaching and learner success? In this chapter we explore several related theoretical perspectives that can inform efforts to research and transform university-based initial literacy teacher preparation: third-space, boundary-crossing, and hybrid-space theories. We describe each of these theoretical frameworks and the ways in which they are overlapping and distinctive. We offer three examples that draw on our own work in design-based research efforts attempting to incorporate these theories in practice. Finally, we address the challt and the opportunities facing teacher educators in the context of claims that teacher education is failing the next generation of teachers and the students they will serve.