Teachers generally raise sharp criticism about theory with respect to its (lack of) relevance and benefits to practice in both teaching and teacher education. With the purpose of having a deeper understanding of this criticism, this study aims to explore conceptualization of theory by both English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student teachers and…

The creation and maintenance of inclusive learning environments is a key responsibility of all teachers working in Australian schools. Most Australian universities embed inclusion education training for pre-service teachers (PSTs) in coursework. There is an implicit assumption in these arrangements that the study of inclusion and of special needs…

Pedagogical tact, the "translator" from theory to practice, is a complex construct. A theory of tact has been developed and is tested through comparison of novice and expert teachers. One may assume that experienced practitioners are tactful if they are committed. Preservice teachers may be assumed to be less tactful than experienced…

Considerable resources are expended on the development of learner autonomy (LA), and in particular on the provision of self-access facilities as one of the most common ways in which institutions have tried to foster autonomy. Whether the intended outcomes are achieved depends in large part on teachers' agreement with and understanding of the…

The relative contributions of higher education and schools, and hence the conceptual and practical aspects of ITE, to student teachers' professional learning have been an issue of concern in teacher education. This article reports a mixed-methods study showing the relationship between student teachers' engagement with the practical and conceptual…

Field-based observation has long been a central part of pre-service teacher education in many countries and is crucial for implementing effective practicum of pre-service teachers. This paper focused on the perspectives of graduating pre-service teachers regarding their difficulties related to administrative support, cooperating teachers, student…

The aim of this study was to investigate science teachers' views of continuing professional development (CPD) provision in Saudi Arabia and science teachers' perspectives of the CPD contextual issues that have an impact on putting the learning emerging from the CPD programmes into practice. The study used mixed methods (open-ended questionnaires…

The aim of this study was to explore physics teachers' ramification of theory and practices as a result of physics content and pedagogical changes in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase. The researchers adopted the mixed method research approach. The quantitative aspect involved 109 physics teachers and the qualitative approach used ten…

With its shift to a market economy gathering speed from the 1990s, the Chinese Government embarked on an agenda that brought neoliberal forces into almost all sectors including education. The policies underpinned China's spectacular economic growth, but in education have had consequences that arguably are problematic. Drawing on a mixed-methods…

Research alone does not inform practice, rather a process of knowledge translation is required to enable research findings to become meaningful for practitioners in their contextual settings. However, the translational process needs to be an iterative cycle so that the practice itself can be reflected upon and thereby inform the ongoing research…

This study investigated the way developing, sharing and using of research-based knowledge occurred in the school-university research network of a master's programme for in-service teachers in the Netherlands. Over a 10-month period, a combination of quantitative and qualitative network data was collected. Data were analysed at three network…

The purposes of professional experience within initial teacher education programs are varied (Russell, 2005). However, there is limited literature explaining (a) university-based teacher educators' beliefs about its purposes and (b) how these purposes are reflected in practice. This study investigated these themes. A pragmatic mixed-method…

The educational research community has underscored the importance of preparing teachers to embrace a culturally responsive pedagogy for all their students. At the same time, teacher education programs have been criticized for being overly theoretical and lacking a bridge for preservice teachers to connect theory to practice. Teaching cases allow a…

This mixed methods study explored elementary teachers' (n = 73) experiences with and perspectives on the recently implemented Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-Mathematics) at a high-needs, urban school. Analysis of the survey, questionnaire, and interview data reveals the findings cluster around: familiarity with and preparation…

Social work educators often teach students clinical knowledge within a university classroom, whereas students tend to learn clinical practice through their practicum experiences. This article describes data from a cross-sectional, mixed-method study on one way to effectively bridge the gap between teaching clinical knowledge and practice to…