Conditions and pathways for the design of action research projects in pre-service teacher education

Abstract

The design of action research projects in the practium of pre-service teacher education may favour the development of reflective professional development towards educational practices based on humanistic and democratic values. This possibility is discussed in the context of a master degree in teaching at the University of Minho, with a focus on conditions that determine student teachers’ thematic and methodological paths in project design. The role of three types of pedagogical support mechanisms enacted at this stage– action guidelines, cross-curricular articulation, and supervision – is highlighted along with the convergence of experiential and contextual factors in developing intervention plans. The process of project design is complex and demanding, but also creative and innovative.