Samenvatting

To tackle the continuous criticism of a lack of coherence and being disconnected from practice, teacher education programs have started to focus on the study and practice of teaching on campus. Yet, without theory, candidates may develop a technical view of teaching, lacking the understanding of the theoretical rationale behind the practices. Additionally, learning about research methods is a part of many teacher education programs as it helps candidates to become reflective and creative teachers who are able to learn systematically about their practice. Against this background, we investigate how the studying and practicing of teaching and attention to theory and research within campus courses influence teacher candidates’ perception of coherence in their teacher education program. Data from 270 candidates from Norway, Sweden and the US (California) were analyzed. Stepwise regression analyses show that, after controlling for the program candidates belong to, the study and practice of teaching and the opportunity to learn about theory contribute to explaining differences in perceptions of coherence between courses and opportunities to connect the various parts of the program. However, it seems that other variables come into play when candidates are asked about coherence between field experiences and campus courses. We furthermore find that learning about, reading, discussing, or analyzing research methods within methods courses is not a significant predictor of candidates’ perception of coherence. This finding seems to contrast the call for more attention to research methods in teacher education.