Building Research Capacity of Future Teachers - A Canadian Case Study

Oct 15, 2026

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The paper investigates whether an in-course research component can strengthen pre-service teachers’ perceived research capacity and their disposition toward teacher research. Using a year and a half long mixed-methods case study conducted in two phases—a pilot and a follow-up—participants completed research-related assignments within a Canadian teacher education programme. Findings indicate improved inquiry, reflective and critical thinking, and research-related skills, followed by recommendations for theory and practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature Review

Building Research Capacity of Future Teachers: A Canadian Case Study Dragana Martinovic University of Windsor, Canada Ziad F. Dabaja Université Paris-Est Créteil, France Abstract: Since their first day in school, in-service teachers are expected to act professionally, make good judgments, think critically, and problem-solve effectively. The literature suggests that engaging pre-service teachers in research can help them to develop several key skills. In this paper, we present the outcomes from a year and a half long mixed-methods case study that was conducted in two phases (i.e., a pilot and a follow-up study) with two groups ofpre-service teachers enrolled in a teacher education programme in a Canadian mid-size university. The purpose of this research was to examine how an incourse research component might have shaped the perceived research capacity of the pre-service teachers and their disposition toward teacher research. The participants reported that the research component had improved their inquiry, reflective, critical thinking, and research-related skills. We conclude by discussing the study outcomes and proposing a set of recommendations for theory and practice. Introduction In this era of fast changing societies, classroom teachers, especially the newly recruited, need to exercise advanced skills to deal with everyday challenges in their classrooms. According to Zambo and Zambo (2007), since their first teaching day, new classroom teachers “must think like experts […,] make good judgments, think critically, and problem-solve effectively”(p. 63). Thus, it proves crucial that teacher preparation programs strive to equip students with the appropriate skills and experiences to become effective and advanced thinking educators. As an extension, introducing both pre-service and in-service teachers to research (e.g., action research, study groups, and collaborative inquiry) would contribute to educators espousing inquiry stance, highlighted in the 21st Century skills frameworks (Pellegrino, 2017) . Currently, a greater attention is being placed on “the role of pre-service teacher research in teacher education”(van Katwijk et al., 2019, p.1) . The literature suggests that engaging pre-service teachers in conducting a full research study, or parts of a study, could help them develop the ability to think critically (Bower, 2010; Crawford-Garrett et al., 2015; Gordon, 2011; Kotsopoulos et al., 2012) and link theory with practice (Bower, 2010; Kitchen & Stevens, 2008). In this paper, we present results from a year and a half long study that was organized in two phases. The first phase consisted of a pilot project with a small group of pre-service teachers who were exposed to an in-course research-related assignment. In the second phase (i.e., the follow-up study), a larger group of pre-service teachers took a semester-long Teacher-as-Researcher course. In both phases, we looked at the impact of the research-related components of the course on pre-service teachers’ perceived research capacity and disposition toward teacher research. The overarching question that guided the study was: In what way an in-course research component might have shaped the perceived research capacity of pre-service teachers? This study was conducted at a mid-size public university in Ontario, Canada. Literature Review Traditionally, research belonged exclusively in the portfolio of academics; pre-service and most in-service teachers learned about effective teaching from the research conducted by others. The recent push to involve teachers in research grew from the realization that teachers may be alienated from research, finding it irrelevant to their contexts and non-generalizable (Hemsley-Brown & Sharp, 2003). Except from taking part in research teams, the most likely venue for teachers to gain some research skills and experience is through their graduate studies (Stanovich & Stanovich, 2003) . The positive impact of activel

FAQs

What problem does the study address regarding pre-service teachers and research?

The study examines how involving pre-service teachers in an in-course research component may shape their perceived research capacity and their attitude toward teacher research.

How was the research study designed and conducted?

A year and a half mixed-methods case study was carried out in two phases: a pilot project with a small group and a follow-up semester-long Teacher-as-Researcher course with a larger group.

What outcomes did participants report after completing the research component?

Participants reported improvements in inquiry, reflective abilities, critical thinking, and research-related skills, reflecting a stronger disposition toward teacher research.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Franzy