Using concept maps to structure a small-scale literature review: an approach to research-based learning in pre-service teacher education

Research-based learning (RBL) is a useful tool for combining theory and practice in teacher education. However, pre-service teachers struggle with the idea of teacher as researcher. One popular (meta)methodology considered in educational research (and that is well suited to school research) is design-based research (DBR). Incorporating this approach into RBL as a method for developing teaching innovation in schools could be one way to include RBL in teacher education and place pre-service teachers in the position of teacher as researcher. This study explores the potential of using digital concept maps to support the conceptualization phase (during the literature review) of an RBL process based on DBR in a pre-service teacher-education course prior to the design of a teaching innovation strategy for schools. Quantitative and qualitative data were obtained from a questionnaire administered to pre-service teachers and from the semantic evaluation of the concept maps of these teachers. Our results show an overall consensus among pre-service teachers that concept maps are useful for structuring small-scale literature reviews. Pre-service teachers also believe there is a strong possibility that they will use concept maps when they become teachers. We use our findings to make recommendations for university lecturers to use digital concept maps to design RBL activities based on literature reviews and with emphasis on teacher education.