Teacher-Researcher Development? Unpacking the Understandings and Approaches in Initial Teacher Education in Kosovo

Abstract

The teacher-researcher is a prevailing concept in the post-professionalism age of teacher education. The development of teacher-researchers is discussed alongside reforming initial teacher education programmes as research-based. At this time, there is no consensus regarding the understanding and methodologies of teacher-researcher development. The purpose of this study is to examine student teachers’ and teacher educators’ understandings of and approaches to teacher-researcher development in initial teacher education in Kosovo within the research-based education movement. The study used a qualitative research design. The data were collected through open questionnaires (n = 270 student teachers), interviews (n = 15 teacher educators), and programme content (n = 5) at two initial teacher education institutions in Kosovo. Using Healey and Jenkins’s research curriculum categories as a guiding framework, the study identified four clusters of contradictory understandings and approaches relating to teacher educator practice and programme values and goals, fragmenting the context of teacher-researcher development in Kosovo. In order to build consensus in teacher-researcher development, coordinated efforts are recommended to address the current isolated and differing understandings and practices within the broader context of initial teacher education.

Deepening class insight through participatory lesson study: An experience with students specializing in school psychology

“…In 2020, these students were beginning their program's professional education cycle, choosing classes that would improve their future performance in school settings. Researchers are the teaching team, inspired in Stenhouse (1975) conception of Teacher‐as‐Researcher (Bolghari & Hajimaghsoodi, 2017; Elliot, 2015; Kaçaniku, 2020). From now on, teacher‐researcher dyad, who are also the authors of this article.…”

Enhancing the Value of Teacher Education Research

“…-978-90-04-68999-2 Downloaded from Brill.com 06/03/2024 03:04:34PM via Open Access. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Currently, however, only limited research is undertaken by in-service teachers in a number of European countries, including Kosovo Education research is predominantly conducted by academic staff in initial teacher education institutions (Kaçaniku, 2020b). There is a general expectation that it is the role of university-level teacher educators to conduct education research, of teacher educators to transfer that knowledge to student teachers, and of prospective teachers to apply that knowledge in schools (Cochran- Hargreaves, 2007).…”

“…One important aim of study programme reviews was to strengthen standards by developing Masters-level qualifications and promoting research across different courses (Kaçaniku, 2020b;Saqipi, 2020). These new programmes aimed to improve future teacher research and reflection skills (Saqipi & Vogrinc, 2016) by including at least one research methods course and making thesis work mandatory (Saqipi, 2020).…”

“…These new programmes aimed to improve future teacher research and reflection skills (Saqipi & Vogrinc, 2016) by including at least one research methods course and making thesis work mandatory (Saqipi, 2020). However, a recent study (see Kaçaniku, 2020b) reports that future teachers still see research only as a pre-service requirement.…”

Making Research Relevant for Future Teachers

“…Currently, however, only limited research is undertaken by in-service teachers in a number of European countries, including Kosovo Education research is predominantly conducted by academic staff in initial teacher education institutions (Kaçaniku, 2020b). There is a general expectation that it is the role of university-level teacher educators to conduct education research, of teacher educators to transfer that knowledge to student teachers, and of prospective teachers to apply that knowledge in schools (Cochran- Smith & Lytle, 2009;Hargreaves, 2007).…”