The professionalisation of teachers in France at a time of new reform: A comparative perspective of teacher-trainers and students in pre-service training

Abstract

The latest reform of initial teacher education (ITE) in France, introduced in 2021, aims to make teacher training less theoretical and therefore more ‘practical’. New elements, such as the replacement of the Écoles Supérieures pour le Professorat et l'Éducation (ÉSPÉs) by the Instituts Nationaux Supérieurs du Professorat et de l'Education (INSPÉs), the creation of a contractual student status and the moving back of the recruitment exam to the end of the Master's course have affected the process of professionalising future teachers. Within this context, this paper looks at the similarities and differences between the perceptions of trainers and students regarding training. From a methodological point of view, two questionnaire surveys were conducted in 2022 by the same team of researchers: among INSPÉ trainers (N = 725) and students intending to teach at primary and secondary level (N = 938). The results show variations in the perceived usefulness of training content and the ways in which theory and practice are linked. Students prioritise the practical dimension of the profession to the detriment of reflective or research approaches. The time constraints imposed by concurrent logics (professionalisation, universitarisation, certification) point to the need to recreate spaces that articulate the diverse knowledge that is essential for building—or building oneself as—a competent professional.