Teachers' conceptions of theory and practice in initial training and their relationship to pedagogical practice.

Abstract

Introduction: The tension between theory and practice remains one of the most relevant debates in teacher training. Although extensive literature has addressed this relationship from theoretical and curricular perspectives, less empirical evidence is available on teachers' own conceptions of how these two dimensions are articulated in their professional development and pedagogical practices. Objective: To explore the conceptions of theory and practice in initial teacher training and analyze how these relate to pedagogical practice. Materials and methods: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used. The qualitative phase included document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and an expert focus group, which allowed for the identification of emerging categories and the development of the quantitative instrument. The quantitative phase involved 100 teachers and pre-service teachers who completed a Likert-type survey. Subsequently, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and integration of results were performed using a joint display. Results: The findings show that participants continue to value theory as a fundamental component of professional preparation, but at the same time recognize practice as a source of knowledge building, reflection, and professional learning. The integration of both phases suggests that teachers do not conceive of theory and practice as opposing or hierarchical dimensions, but rather as complementary and mutually enriching components of teacher training. Conclusions: Contemporary teacher training requires moving beyond dichotomous approaches and promoting models that integrate theoretical knowledge, practical experiences, and reflective processes as interdependent dimensions of professional development.