Abstract:

Student teachers’ transmissive beliefs become barriers for educational innovation. Their change appears to be complex, and they do not change as the mere participation in training programs. Is this true today? Do the student teachers’ beliefs become more sophisticated with training? Can we change their beliefs through teaching strategies? How student teachers evolve after they change their beliefs? This study aims to modify the epistemological, teaching and learning beliefs through teaching, and keep the track of students who showed changes. Three different studies was developed: Cross-sectional study: 435 students of teacher education program (three universities of Metropolitan Region, Chile). Conceptual change study: 28 students participating in learning course (university 1),
and a Follow-up study: Quantitative: Pre-post-follow-up questionnaires of 13 students (2007) and 8 students (2008). Qualitative phase: interview of 2 (2007) and 3 (2008) students. Using instrumets as the Schommer Epistemological Questionnaire (SEQ); Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire (Gomez & Guerra (2008); Dilemmas Questionnaire on Teaching and Learning (Pozo et al., 2006); In-depth interview, qualitative and quantitative analysis was develop. The results shows that Cross-sectional Study : Unlike previous studies, there is sophistication in epistemological, learning and teaching beliefs, as student teachers advance in their studies. The pace of change differs between institutions. The epistemological beliefs that evolve are: structure of knowledge and speed of learning.
Regarding teaching and learning, they become constructivist at the third year of training, but seniors also show transmissive approaches.
Conceptual Change Study : The strategy advance the development of learning and teaching beliefs from the third to the first year of training.Follow-up Study : Students, who changed their beliefs in 2007 and 2008, continue to evolve in their epistemological, learning and teaching beliefs. However, in-depth interviews revealed the presence of traditional ideas in seniors.
The implications for teacher training are discused.

Keywords:

Teacher education, Epistemological beliefs, Learning and teaching beliefs, Conceptual change, Follow-up study.