What did you study?
My dissertation focused on mapping empirical teacher student and teacher educator research. I investigated research methods, designs, trends and analysed research contents and gaps.
What were the results of your research, or what was the main finding?
Most publications were small-scale qualitative and cross-sectional studies, which emphasized personally and contextually meaningful experiences and interpretation. Findings are in line with international teacher education reviews implying shared elements in teacher education.
Studies focused on professional development, professional beliefs, values and ethics and professional identity. Studies on professional wellbeing were rare. Among teacher students’ descriptions on professional growth and changes in thinking and learning, the studies consisted of depictions of pedagogical experiments and models aimed at supporting professional development. In turn, teacher educator research emphasized their roles in teaching and curriculum development. Instead, the studies on student selection, research and broker collaboration were rare.
How can the results be applied? What new information did the research provide?
The findings can be utilised in directing future research. Through mapping, we make knowledge production more visible in research-based teacher education and in the development of our education system. The dissertation produced meaningful knowledge on the utilization of research in teacher education and in the teacher’s decision making. They can be utilised in building understanding on the collaborative research structures would support research-based teacher education.
