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

Abstract

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.