Undergraduate Pre-service EFL Teachers’ Conceptions of Research: A Quantitative Analysis

Abstract

This study explores, from a pragmatist perspective, the conceptions of research of undergraduate pre-service teachers from an English Language Major at a public Mexican university.  A survey design was used. The informants were 108 pre-service EFL teachers from the second, sixth and tenth semesters. The conceptions of research showed similar percentages among the pre-service teachers from those semesters. Only a slight variation was found in the factor “misconceptions about research”. The factor “research about problem solution” was the only one that showed a significant but weak correlation with the semester in which undergraduate pre-service EFL teachers were. Slight differences were also found between age range and conceptions of research.  The lack of differences among the research conceptions of these undergraduate pre-service EFL teachers is opposed to the findings of previous studies. This can be explained by the fact that those studies were done in varied contexts and with post graduate students from disciplines different from the foreign language teaching area. It is suggested to correct students’ misconceptions and promote research activities during the bachelor degree.