Evocation of beliefs and theories of Primary Education teachers during photo-elicitation processes

Abstract

The paper presents the results obtained in a research project, aimed to analyze the goodness of training situations developed during photo-elicitation processes to capture the practical thinking of teachers. Specifically, are identified the most relevant teaching theories and beliefs that appear in the practice of four primary school teachers. Through visual narrative inquiry and photo-elicitation processes, we can access to the experience of teachers, who inform and explain the reasons for their decisions and actions in the classroom. The results show what are the theories and beliefs that emerge in the dilemmatic situations of their practice and the consistency and diversity of the practical thinking of the four teachers. These data are discussed to understand what are the determining aspects in the formation of their practical thinking, such as their professional role at the centre, the determination of the context and the years of experience, among others. It is concluded that the photo-elicitation processes are a good procedure for the emergence, construction, representation and evocation of the theories and beliefs that constitute the practical thinking of the teachers. Limitations and future lines of work related to the professional development of the teacher are also presented.