Abstract
Research methods courses often tend to focus on transferring technical information to students rather than offer a more dialogical approach to learning (Barraket, 2005; Kilburn et al., 2014). By drawing on the concept of self-study (Bullough & Pinnegar, 2001), through personal journals and retrospective reflections, this paper explores learning activities introduced in three teacher education graduate research methods courses to support student learning beyond the mastering of research skills or techniques. Narratives of three teacher educators illustrate how teacher candidates can dialogically reflect on research-related topics with peers, bring questions forward for discussion in class and online, apply their emerging technical research skills through collective analysis of a situation, and grow collective knowledge. Teacher candidates recognize the importance of research in their work, although their passion for conducting research is influenced by varied constraints, including research design, programmatic and personal limitations.
Highlights
Future teachers need to develop an understanding of educational research and how research is an inherent part of a teacher’s work (Moulding & Hadley, 2010)
Trial-anderror and reliance on peers seems to be the norm for developing a pedagogy for teaching research methods (Earley, 2014; Kilburn et al, 2014), while guiding students to complete their research projects is often informed by a research advisor or supervisor’s own experience as a graduate student (Henderson, 2018)
Three teacher educators present individual narratives as research advisorsinstructors. These narratives evolved from our collective pedagogical discussions in search of approaches to move from “transferring technical information about research methods” to teacher candidates, to a more dialogical approach to learning, where technical skills are mastered through “reflection and collective analysis” (Barraket, 2005, p. 67)
Summary
Future teachers need to develop an understanding of educational research and how research is an inherent part of a teacher’s work (Moulding & Hadley, 2010). In the second year of the program, as a requirement of the Educational Research 2 graduate seminar ( 36 hours in-class), teacher candidates conduct a small scale qualitative research study, using either semi-structured interviews with educators or document analysis, on a topic related to teaching and learning. This course pays particular attention to research design, data collection, data analysis, and knowledge sharing, and is designed to support teacher candidates throughout the various stages of the research journey. I have seen the delight with which they would engage in academic readings and activities knowing that the information provided data and critical analysis of the very issues they face
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