Research capacity building in and on teacher education: developing practice and learning

Abstract

Research is widely acknowledged as a key element of professional learning for intending and serving teachers, as well as for their teacher educators. And yet, despite this centrality, research in teacher education is often subjected to critique and contestation. Internationally, the quality of such research has been questioned, and there are on-going issues about when, how and why teacher educators and teachers (can) engage in research. Initiatives to build research capacity in teacher education thus remain of crucial importance. Here we focus on this issue, aiming to analyse how to strengthen the field of teacher education locally and internationally. We first set out a conceptual framework for considering capacity building, and then analyse three international examples of practice in teacher education research: the Norwegian Doctoral School (NAFOL); the use of self-study research in Belgium (Flanders); and the Teacher Education Research Network (TERN), a social practices initiative in England. The contextualised analysis of these local capacity-building initiatives exemplifies what factors influence their enactments and outcomes and, in so doing, also inform a more ‘glocal’ understanding of how to build research capacity in and on teacher education. From this follows our overall question: what can be learned from these cases about how to build research capacity in and on teacher education?

A survey research on Finnish teacher educators’ research-teaching integration and its relationship with their approaches to teaching

“…Professional learning initiatives have been developed to build teacher educators' capacity for their research work and other tasks Murray and Vanassche 2019). Based on the present study, we argue that instead of regarding research and teaching as separate sections, they should be considered to be integrated activities.…”

Opportunities Encountered by the Teachers in the New Normal

“…Research uses rigorous scientific methods to analyze specific issues meticulously (Sharma, 2020). The teaching profession is frequently described as either research-informed or research-based, with teaching and research often seen as complementary aspects of teacher educators' roles and identities (Murray & Vanassche, 2019). It is crucial for all teachers to stay informed about developments in their field and to keep up-to-date with the latest findings in the subjects they teach (Baldwin, 2005).…”

Development of research capacity of a future social pedagogue in the face of digital technologies

“…Research is widely recognized as a key element of professional training for both future social pedagogues and their instructors. Yet, despite its importance, research in pedagogical education is often criticized and challenged (Murray & Vanassche, 2019 ). Pedagogical training usually represents an articulated discourse about the profession of an educator with a relatively weak and adapted research base.…”

“…Such capacity can be developed through the accumulation of research experience (Manongsong & Panopio, 2018 ), which requires applying acquired knowledge and skills to produce first-grade results. Research capacity-building actions should be seen as a directed form of professional development (or learning) for pedagogues as independent practitioners and professional community members (Murray & Vanassche, 2019 ). Increasing the research capacity of educators implies a change in their professional profiles, including a change in the working repertoire of knowledge that enables a person to perform prior professional tasks (Griffioen, 2020 ).…”