Collaborative practice-based teacher education model: tensions and lessons for curricular transformation

The research objective of this study is to examine how a Chilean faculty of education collaboratively designed a practice-based teacher education (PBTE) model to bridge the persistent theory–practice gap in initial teacher preparation, a challenge that remains largely fragmented across Latin America. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative, collaborative self-study approach, documenting the model’s design across three stages – diagnosis, collaborative design, and initial implementation – with 30 faculty members, and organising data into two analytical categories: difficulties and opportunities. The main findings show that difficulties included resistance to change, limited distributed leadership, and weak research culture, while opportunities included new leadership, contextualised guiding principles, and gradual appropriation of the practice-based approach. The central contribution is a programme model that integrates practical experience with pedagogical reflection, improving programme coherence and fostering an academic culture grounded in reflection, educational justice, and continuous improvement, with potential transferability to other institutional contexts.