Teacher Education Research Most Common in China and Teacher Education Research Through the RLP: What Can Be Learned Reciprocally?

The premise for novice educators to achieve professional development in teacher education research lies in a clear understanding of what teacher education research is, why it should be conducted, and how to conduct it. Through undergraduate and early graduate studies, the novice researchers who participated in the Reciprocal Learning Program (RLP) have formed a preliminary understanding of teacher education research. Canada-China RLP has provided them with opportunities to understand the similarities and differences in the approaches and methods of teacher education research between the East and the West. This study focuses on seven novice researchers from Southwest University in China who were deeply involved in RLP. By analyzing their dissertations and conducting in-depth one-on-one interviews, this research explores the specific impact of their experiences in the RLP on their research during their graduate studies and subsequent professional growth. The results show that from entering to leaving the RLP, they underwent transformations in their roles as “observers,” “participants,” “disseminators,” and “practitioners.” Their experiences in the program played a positive role in clarifying their research attitudes, choosing research topics, research methods, and focusing on research ethics during their graduate studies. It helped them recognize the differences in concepts, approaches, and methods between Eastern and Western educational research, which had a sustainable impact on their professional growth.