Implications of Teachers’ Personal Practical Knowledge for Teacher Training Programs: A Case Study of Primary Teachers

Abstract

This study aims to understand teachers’ Personal Practical Knowledge to provide future teacher educators with essential points for improving teacher training programs. The study was conducted with six teachers in the primary education context, using narrative inquiry as a qualitative approach. The semi-structured interview with teachers indicated that they had a rich knowledge of factors affecting the success of the teaching profession. As such, data analysis of teachers’ transcripts using open, axial, and selective coding resulted in five main themes crucial for future teacher educators to consider for developing effective teacher training programs: (1) Entwined and complicated aspects of teaching, (2) Effective communication is key, (3) Ineffectiveness of theoretical versus practical courses, (4) Being ignored by society, and (5) Losing the dream of being perfect. The paper concludes with implications for the theory and practice in the teacher education field.