Evolution of Teachers’ Conceptions During Teacher Education
The notion of professionalization of teaching staff, which aims at ensuring teaching quality, is a current concern in educational science and for policymakers. Such a process involves a conscious and targeted development of beliefs – e.g. relating to teaching methods – and knowledge of teachers during their initial training (we use the word “conceptions” as an umbrella term for beliefs and knowledge). Indeed, empirical research is increasingly concerned with the theme of teachers’ thinking. However, a number of issues are currently under debate. This project intends to clarify what is currently a grey area in research on teachers’ conceptions: How do teachers’ conceptions evolve along with t
This project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (N°100019_146351)
Consequently, the objective of this project is to analyse how the conceptions of vocational education and training (VET) and secondary school teachers evolve throughout their pedagogical training. Moreover, the project attempts to understand the factors which promote or impair conceptual change. The project deals with these issues in the context of two basic activities in the teaching profession – course planning and classroom management. Additionally, two populations of trainee teachers are investigated by the project, i.e. general preservice secondary school teachers and VET teachers (who undergo pedagogical training while already working as teachers), so as to assess the degree of generalisation or any differences between these two populations.
In particular, the project will seek to provide answers to the following questions:
- What is the nature of VET teachers’ conceptions when they start teacher education?
- How do these conceptions evolve?
- Are there differences according to age, training, work experience, the type of classes or types of training?
- Is there a consistent relationship between conceptions and teaching practice? What factors influence the degree of consistency?
- How does initial training influence the conceptions of VET teachers?
In order to answer these questions, two stages of research combining various (qualitative and quantitative) methods to collect and analyse data are planned. Stage I comprises a survey based longitudinal study with aim to infer profiles of evolution of teachers’ conceptions from the beginning of teacher education to its completion. In a second stage, interviews will be conducted with teachers selected based on their responses to the questionnaire, so as to understand the factors promoting and the barriers to changing their conceptions. This study will yield scientifically established data to improve the state of knowledge about teachers’ thought processes, and serve to improve teacher education and the implementation of pedagogical innovations.