Internship integrated practitioner research projects foster student teachers’ professional learning and research orientation: a mixed-methods study in initial teacher education

ABSTRACT

Practitioner research as one approach of research-based learning in teacher education aims at the enhancement of student teachers’ professional learning and research orientation. As current research does not provide sufficiently detailed and generalisable findings about the effects of internship integrated practitioner research, the present mixed-methods study combines qualitative and quantitative methods to deliver valuable insights. Content analysis of qualitative data of a first survey (n = 312) shows that student teachers solely report a development of their practise and do not report effects on their research orientation when openly asked. Factor analysis of quantitative data of a second survey (n = 124) with closed questions about practise- and research-orientated effects reveals four overarching factors: structuring of teaching, researching, communicating during teaching, and learner centred teaching. Results of the second survey demonstrate benefits in all factors. The findings provide indications that professional learning and research orientation is related to practitioner research.

KEYWORDS:

• Research based learning
• practitioner research
• initial teacher education
• internship

Acknowledgments

We thank all members of our research team (Mirijam Axmann, Gerda Kernbichler, Marlies Matischek-Jauk, Clara Obrecht, Manuela Radler, Sabine Reissner) and the internship advisors who brought their great expertise to the project.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest

The first author was involved in the development and implementation of the concept.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Notes

1. The survey contained 1 item concerning an anonymous code, 3 items concerning gender, 13 items about research topics, 7 items about motives, 10 items about research methods, 22 items about effects, 7 items about conclusions for future practise and long-term benefits and 9 items regarding feedback about support.

2. The analyses were also done with Promax rotation. Results showed the same allocation of items to factors. We therefore conclude the robustness of our EFA results regarding the method of rotation. Consequently, we choose to report the results of the Varimax rotation, as this is the more parsimonious model.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Katharina Heissenberger-Lehofer

Katharina Heissenberger-Lehofer is University College Professor for Gifted Education in Primary School and Practitioner Research at the University College for Teacher Education Styria in Graz, Austria. Her key research areas are practitioner research, pedagogical-practical studies and gifted education.

Georg Krammer

Georg Krammer is University College Professor for Educational Measurement and Applied Psychometrics at the University College for Teacher Education Styria in Graz, Austria. He identifies as a research methodologist and educational scientist (trained psychologist). He wants to apply stats and methods to further our understanding of substantive (educational) issues.