Action research in Physical Education teacher training: perceptions of its impact on professional performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v72.117114Keywords:
Teaching competencies, higher education, pedagogical intervention, continuous improvement, problem solvingAbstract
Introduction: Initial teacher education represents a key process in developing pedagogical knowledge, enabling future teachers to face the challenges of the school context. In this regard, integrating inquiry-based methodologies, such as action research, becomes essential for fostering critical reflection and developing contextually relevant responses to the issues that arise in educational practice.
Objective: To analyze the influence of the learning acquired through the action-research methodology during the initial Physical Education training on the school system's current professional performance.
Methodology: A qualitative approach with an interpretative design was employed. Online interviews were conducted with 30 graduates from Universidad Andrés Bello (Chile), belonging to the last three cohorts (2022, 2023, and 2024) who completed the Thesis Seminar course. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, considering their experience in this course and current school system employment.
Results: The findings reveal a positive and sustained influence of this formative experience, reflected in an enhanced ability to address pedagogical challenges, a proactive attitude toward continuous improvement, and a strengthened capacity to seek emerging responses in teaching practice through action research.
Conclusions: Action research emerges as an effective pedagogical strategy that positively impacts initial teacher education, fostering a reflective and critical attitude that endures throughout professional teaching practice.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Claudio Hinojosa-Torres, Sybil Foxon-Schultz, Lissette Cerda-Miranda, Javiera Soto-Meneses, Dilan Galeano-Rojas, Pedro Valdivia-Moral, Juan Pablo Zavala-Crichton, Macarena Hurtado-Guerrero
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