Internship integrated practitioner research projects foster student teachers’ professional learning and research orientation: a mixed-methods study in initial teacher education

Practitioner research as one approach of research-based learning in teacher education aims at the enhancement of student teachers’ professional learning and research orientation. As current research does not provide sufficiently detailed and generalisable findings about the effects of internship integrated practitioner research, the present mixed-methods study combines qualitative and quantitative methods to deliver valuable insights. Content analysis of qualitative data of a first survey (n = 312) shows that student teachers solely report a development of their practise and do not report effects on their research orientation when openly asked. Factor analysis of quantitative data of a second survey (n = 124) with closed questions about practise- and research-orientated effects reveals four overarching factors: structuring of teaching, researching, communicating during teaching, and learner centred teaching. Results of the second survey demonstrate benefits in all factors. The findings provide indications that professional learning and research orientation is related to practitioner research.