AD ALTA
JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
TEACHER AND A FUTURE TEACHER AS A RESEACHER
a
VIERA KURINCOVÁ,
b
TOMÁŠ TURZÁK,
c
JANA
TURZÁKOVÁ
a,b
Department of Education, Faculty of Education, Constantine
the Philosopher University in Nitra, Dražovská 4, 949 74 Nitra,
Slovakia
c
Institute of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and
Health Care, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra,
Kraskova 1, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia
email:
a
vkurincova@ukf.sk,
b
tturzak@ukf.sk,
c
jturzakova@ukf.sk
Abstract: Action research has the potential to promote reflective teaching practice and
to form educational change. Only a few studies have examined how students perceive
the preparation to do research during their future careers. The aim of the present
qualitative study was to explore the perspective of students – future teachers of
themselves as researchers. Two focus groups with 29 students were conducted. Data
analysis revealed how they perceive the methodology courses, how they experience
the process of their own research and how they construct this aspect of teacher
professional identity. The findings are discussed in the context of current research,
limitations of the study are mentioned, and suggestions for future research are
proposed.
Keywords: students, future teachers, education, action research, focus group
1 Introduction
Preparation of students in teaching programs and their
development during their educational practice is a never-ending
process of finding the answers appearing in everyday school life.
These are the results of numerous studies, primarily in the field
of teacher research. The history of teaching profession proves
that the teaching profession has become more and more
demanding as the requirements for the work of a teacher have
broadened teacher´s competence profile. In the context of
increasing demands on teacher´s job, the entrance into the space
of research takes its place due to several aspects.
Our study focuses on a teacher in the role of a researcher of
his/her educational environment and activities. Based on the
document of the Council of the European Union (2007) Campos
(2010, pp. 13-31) underlines, that “research – based
qualification” of a teacher is a current request and one of the
distinguishing characteristics of initial teacher education today.
As he states, there is a need for such a competence, which will
support a teacher in developing new knowledge and skills. On
the other hand there exist a demand to be engaged in reflective
practice and research (this is one way how to be an innovative
teacher). A closer relationship with research is considered to be a
sign of higher level of teacher qualification.
The narrower connection of the teacher profession with research
as an imperative stands out for creation of such study programs
for teachers that will support investigative attitudes of
undergraduate students in teaching programs within their
professional practice and acquisition of knowledge and
competences to work in research (get to know methods and
principles of research for specific educational context).
1.1
Research competence of a teacher
Numerous foreign and home authors in their papers focus on
competences and skills of a teacher. In the professional literature
we encounter the topic ´Teacher and Research´ written by more
authors. Research competences are discussed, as well as
developmental competences (Švec, 2005), then also pedagogical
and research competences (Lukášová-Kantorková, 2003).
Seberová (2015) points to the fact that the research competence
is a new requirement for teachers.
Regarding to professional activities performed by a teacher,
research activities – action research and participation at various
developmental projects are analyzed by K
asáčová and
Tabačáková (2000). Spilková et al. (2008) pinpoint that in
European context the attention is focused on ´Culture of
reflexive practice and research´ and ´research based teacher
education´. There is an evident effort of joining students/teachers
mainly into action research studies in their own classroom or
school (Spilková et al., 2008, p. 48).
Generally, the European context accepts the definition stated in
the document ´A Tuning Guide to Formulating Degree
Programme Profiles´ (Lockhoff et al., 2010). Competences of
teachers to be are divided into generic, general (applicable,
transferable in various fields of curriculum) and specific (related
to the specific field of the study). Among the generic
competences we can find also ´research ability´. Gray
and Campbell-Evans (2002) stemming from the study of several
authors state that appreciation of the need to strengthen teachers
through the research from their own practice is constantly
growing as well as appreciation of the teachers who reflect the
complexity of school environment and research of teachers
representing self-reflection of their own professional practice.
Thus, the need of teachers who are not only recipients and
subjects of research, however, they are those who generate
pedagogical knowledge. A new role of a teacher-researcher is
considered to be a decisive factor in interconnecting effective
pedagogical practice with the following professional teacher
development.
Fulfilling the growing expectation of the society from the side of
a teacher, the requirement to encompass the role of a reflective
practitioner in the professional role and a researcher at the same
time is not only intellectually demanding but it also requires
a solution of serious and often difficult questions on a classroom
practice and learning results of students. The double role of
a teacher and researcher has currently become extremely
demanding in the fast changing current conditions of schools.
The difficulties are growing if a teacher is not properly prepared
for such a role and has not gained enough experience in the field
of the pedagogical research. Sometimes even reading research
studies can be difficult for many teachers in the practice due to
the fact that they find academic research very artificial, language
of research too distant from their way of expression. Academic
research is not considered to be a voice of teachers (Gray and
Campbell-Evans, 2002).
Similarly, Shkedi (1998) suggests, that the idea of teachers as
researchers arises from the encounter between the teacher’s
world and the researcher’s world, which may be characterized as
a deep gap. He found that the teachers do not perceive
positivistic university-based educational research to have the
potential to express their professional world. It is often too
theoretical and the findings do not suit specific situations in
which practitioners work. On the other side, qualitative research,
being more narrative and reflecting real-world experience, may
represent a bridge between the research and practitioners, help
raising their professional levels, and reinforce their status as
professionals.
1.2 Action research
The first signs on action research and its distinction from
academic research can be found in the work of the American
social psychologist and educator Kurt Lewin from the 1940s.
Lewin is considered to be the author of the term action research
(Ferrance, 2000). The action research was perceived as an
activity with its potential to strengthen the “science of
education“, as well as a status of the professionals who had been
working at schools and faculties. Research of teachers and with
teachers was one of the ways of improvements in this field and
clearly points at the action research as knowledge/cognition
generating activity (Noffke, 2009).
Throughout establishing action research, the terms such
as practitioner research or teachers as researchers were used. In
any case, the reason is apparent that it is about research activities
that are performed by teachers themselves in their educational
- 305 -