A developmental research-based teacher education: designing and implementing a new program for preservice teachers in France

ABSTRACT

In many countries, preservice teachers’ (PTs) education programs neglect the importance of connecting research and practice. Reconciling training and research remains problematic for PTs, who often encounter difficulties in making connections between the academic knowledge acquired in university and their experiences in the classroom. This context inhibits the development of their professional skills. Taking this observation as our starting point, the aim of this article is to conceptualize and to illustrate an alternative approach in order to establish a reciprocal link between training and research, sketching the outlines of a developmental research-based program of teacher education. We begin by studying different training-based approaches to research and their respective limitations, identifying the key principles and steps of a developmental research-based approach to teacher education. Then, we illustrate these principles using data from empirical studies. Finally, we discuss the conditions required for the implementation of such an approach to the teacher education of PTs in France.

KEYWORDS:

• preservice teachers
• professional development
• research-based approach
• teaching experiences
• university-school partnership

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Guillaume Escalié

Guillaume Escalié is a full professor at the University of Bordeaux (France), focuses his research on tutoring interactions in teaching education and sports training contexts. He is a member of the association for Teacher education in Europe (ATEE).

Sébastien Chaliès

Sébastien Chaliès is a full professor at the University of Toulouse (France), conducts a research program based on an anthropological and culturalist perspective of teacher education.

Pascal Legrain

Pascal Legrain is a full professor at the University of Bordeaux (France), Pascal Legrain conducts his research on cooperative learning configurations in the physical education and sports settings.

Sylvie Moussay

Sylvie Moussay is a lecturer at the University of Clermont-Ferrand (France), focuses his research on professional teacher development based on a clinical and sociocultural approach.