The pedagogical innovation from action research to improve the quality of student teachers’ internship

Abstract

Professional internships, which are the culmination of future primary teachers and childhood education training, apart from promoting an approach to classroom reality must be established as a space for reflection and critical analysis to improve the education context on a continuing basis. Therefore, action research is an appropriate strategy to explore, reflect and improve educators’ own practice in schools as well as achieve professional development.

Leading students from Master Degree in Primary Education and in Early Childhood Education to this level involves a strategic shift where simple knowledge transmission cannot teach how to carry out action research. Thus, a pedagogical innovation project based on this methodology has planned that this theoretical and practical knowledge flows towards students, including their tutors and supervisors.

This article sets out the experience of an action research process developed during 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 academic years at University Jaume I, which has promoted participation of pupils, tutors and schools. The main objective of the research is to improve the quality of internships during the initial training of future teachers. Some questions to be answered are: What is the quality of students’ learning during the internship period? What factors positively or negatively affect the quality of that learning? Do they link the learned theory with practice? What strategies exist to enhance the coordination, commitment and participation of those involved in the internship?

Improvements proposed have led to enhance quality of teaching practices, as well as a more reflexive and professional students learning.

The involvement of different actors, own teaching practice (as a tutor or supervisor) and levels of reflection that reach students because of their internship were analysed during the development of the different stages. This project has raised collateral positive results into initial teacher training such as processes and protocols in the schools, the assessment of learning and coordination among those involved in the process.