Inquiry-based professional learning in the practicum: potential and shortcomings

The paper presents a study conducted at the authors' institution to evaluate the potential and shortcomings of an inquiry-based practicum model in post-Bologna initial teacher education master programs. Data was collected through survey questionnaires to practicum participants and the analysis of student teachers' practicum reports. Results show that the participants' views (perceived quality) and evidence from practicum reports (inferred quality) are globally aligned with the model's rationale (intended quality). The model promotes inquiry competences, multifaceted professional knowledge, and a transformative vision of education. Shortcomings of and constraints to inquiry are discussed, and future directions for enhancing it are presented.

The research team wishes to thank the supervisors, cooperating teachers and former student teachers who collaborated in the study, and also to the colleagues who participated in report analysis in previous studies. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. It was supported through national funds of FCT/MCTES-PT at the University of Minho, by CIEd (Research Centre on Education, projects UIDB/01661/2020 and UIDP/01661/2020 Institute of Education) , CIEC (Research Centre for Child Studies, project UIDB/00317/2020 Institute of Education) , and CBMA (Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, project UIDB/04050/2020 School of Sciences) .

This work was financially supported by Portuguese national funds through the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) within the framework of the CIEC (Research Center for Child Studies of the University of Minho) projects under the references UIDB/00317/2020 and UIDP/00317/2020.