Abstract:

This research sought to describe the impact of the training process in classroom research that Master's students, in the areas of Education and Pedagogy at Universidad de La Sabana, had in their everyday classroom practices. It was interesting to understand how such training contributes in their development as reflective professionals. The main research objective in the Masters’ programs was to develop in students skills for learning to learn.

Question of research and justification:
It is necessary to research about teacher training as reflective professionals because despite the efforts to improve the quality of their training, the results have shown no significant differences with previous processes. One of the possible causes is mentioned by Imbernón, who states that "The teacher has been historically a passive research object". (Imbernón, 2009: 8). Consequently, many of the research questions developed by teachers in the past have not addressed the teachers’ needs in the classrooms but have tended to look for generalizations that in their everyday practice are not real. In addition, one of the findings recently presented in the report of “Fundación Compartir” on the quality of education in Colombia, is related to the training of in-service teachers, field in which our country shows the greatest disadvantage with respect to other countries with successful experiences (Garcia Maldonado, Perry and others, 2014: 301).
The research question in this study is: How does the training in classroom research, developed by students of the Masters’ in Education and Pedagogy at Universidad de La Sabana, impact their teaching practices?

General Objective: To characterize the ways in which the training in classroom research impacts teachers’ practices who are students of the masters’ in Education and Pedagogy at the University of La Sabana.

Methodology:
This descriptive study was developed with elements of quantitative and qualitative research.
Three moments of analysis were defined in the teacher training: short-term results; medium-term effects and long-term impact.
The analysis of the information was based on content analysis, questionnaires, interviews and focus groups.

Sample:
An intentional and stratified sample of 695 teachers was selected for this study. The sample included teachers who worked at the initial, basic and middle levels; in marginal and non-marginal contexts and in schools with full-time schedule and schools with half day.

Results:
The classroom research, carried out by students of the Masters’ during their studies as masters students, has a positive effect on the improvement of their practices, although there are variations among them.

Main findings:
Appropriation of methodologies for classroom research, generation of new teaching strategies to promote learning and development of thinking, identification of themselves as part of the problem and their solutions, greater articulation between theory and practice, continuity in research processes, participation in groups and academic networks.

Nevertheless, there are personal and institutional aspects that affect the sustainability of classroom research.

Keywords:

Teachers training, classroom research.