Teaching Research Methodologies in Education: Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices in Portugal

Abstract

Despite the several mismatches of methodological understanding between teachers and students in higher education, research methodologies in education are a relatively common pedagogical practice in most European advanced courses in education. However, only some studies have shown what pedagogical practices are mobilised by the teachers with their specific scientific conceptions. This article presents and discusses the results of an extensive research study conducted in Portugal with all the teachers involved in teaching research methodologies on master’s and doctoral programmes in education. The results show the personal and professional characteristics of the teachers involved in this teaching and the type of senses, decisions, and challenges experienced when teaching research methodologies. The study identifies and characterises the research culture generated by the different pedagogical practices in this scientific field. Based on the results, we argue that the teachers’ scientific conceptions and pedagogical practices may be developed by a “peer authorial construction of research understanding,” aiming to provide appropriate educational experiences to students in research methodologies courses in advanced studies in education.

Keywords

• higher education
• methodological knowledge
• research methodologies in education
• pedagogical practices
• scientific conceptions