Between Academia and School - Habitus Reflexivity as One Way of Dealing with the Theory-Practice Tension in Teacher Education

Oct 15, 2026

Teacher education is examined as a field where academic and pedagogical logics can conflict, especially when students question how theoretical knowledge connects to school work. Drawing on empirical findings from the Habitus.Power.Education project with student teachers at an Austrian university, the paper shows how the theory–praxis gap surfaces as a tension between academic and pedagogical orientation. It proposes habitus reflexivity to bridge university and school logics, while also helping students grasp inequality, power imbalances, and develop agency in modern schooling.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Theory, Practice and Habitus Reflexivity in Teacher Education in Austria

DOI: [https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1652](https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1652) Between Academia and School: Habitus Reflexivity as One Way of Dealing with the Theory-Practice Tension in Teacher Education Susanne Kink-Hampersberger*1, Lisa Scheer2 and Iris Mendel3 • Teacher education’s primary goal is to train prospective teachers, which differs from study programmes, such as philosophy or mathematics, that do not cater to defined professions. This traditional understanding of the teaching profession becomes apparent when students ask: ‘How is this content, topic, method, task, or question relevant to school work?’ It is also reflected in the inclusion of practical school training in teacher education curricula. In Austria’s teacher training, these practical elements are accompanied by theoretical and methodological teaching foundations. However, students often question the applicability of theoretical knowledge to the teaching profession, which creates tension between the academic and pedagogical orientations. This paper discusses these very theory-practice tensions in teacher education based on findings from the project Habitus. Power.Education, which involved student teachers at an Austrian university. We argue that teacher training at universities is neither merely a place for producing a future workforce nor a self-growth space without purpose. Teacher training, rather, combines both (sometimes ambivalent) elements: education in its broadest sense and professional training. Using our empirical material, we show that the theory-praxis gap manifests in the tension between academic and pedagogical orientation. To address and mediate this tension, we propose the concept of habitus reflexivity. Promoting such a form of reflexivity among students makes it possible to bridge the gap between the different logics of university and school. Furthermore, it helps to comprehend inequality and power imbalances in the education system and develop agency, which is essential for navigating the ever-changing and complex world of modern schools. Keywords: habitus reflexivity, Austrian teacher education, theory-practice tension, inequality 1 *Corresponding Author. University College of Teacher Education Styria, Graz, Austria; [susanne.kink@phst.at](susanne.kink@phst.at). 2 Competence Center for University Teaching, University of Graz, Graz, Austria. 3 Institute of Education Research and Teacher Education, University of Graz, Graz, Austria. Med akademijo in šolo: refleksija o habitusu kot eden izmed načinov reševanja napetosti med teorijo in praksov izobraževanju učiteljev Susanne Kink-Hampersberger, Lisa Scheer in Iris Mendel • Glavni cilj izobraževanja učiteljev je usposabljanje bodočih učiteljev, kar se razlikuje od študijskih programov, kot je filozofija ali matematika, ki niso namenjeni enemu določenemu poklicu. To tradicionalnorazumevanje učiteljskega poklica se pokaže, ko študentje vprašajo, kako je ta vsebina, tema, metoda, naloga ali vprašanje pomembno za delo v šoli« . To se kaže tudi v vključevanju praktičnega usposabljanja v šolah v programe izobraževanja učiteljev. V avstrijskem izobraževanju učiteljev te praktične elemente spremljajo teoretične in metodološke osnovepoučevanja. Študentje se pogosto sprašujejo o uporabnosti teoretičnega znanja v učiteljskem poklicu, kar ustvarja napetost med akademsko in pedagoško usmeritvijo. Ta članek obravnava prav te napetosti medteorijo in prakso v izobraževanju učiteljev na podlagi ugotovitev projekta Habitus.Power.Education, v katerem so sodelovali študentje, bodoči učitelji na avstrijski univerzi. Trdimo, da usposabljanje učiteljev na univerzah ni le prostor za pripravo prihodnje delovne sile niti prostor za samorast brez namena. Usposabljanje učiteljev prej združuje oba (včasihambivalentna) elementa: izobraževanje v najširšem smislu in strokovnousposabljanje. Na podlagi empiričnega gradiva pokažemo, da se razkorak med teorijo in prakso kaže v napetosti med akademsko in

FAQs

What tension is central to the paper’s analysis of teacher education?

The paper focuses on the theory–practice tension, seen in students’ doubts about the applicability of academic theory to teaching work in schools.

What empirical basis does the paper use to argue its claims?

It relies on findings from the Habitus.Power.Education project involving student teachers at an Austrian university.

How does the paper propose mediating the theory–practice tension?

It proposes the concept of habitus reflexivity, promoting reflexivity to bridge different logics of university and school.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by A glass of water