LESS TRADITION FOR MORE PROFESSION: AN ATTEMPT WITH THESIS PROJECTS IN PRACTICAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This research scrutinises the question whether an education profile with development-oriented thesis projects in teacher education programs can provide an increased professional relevance without losing scientific quality. The methodology used in the survey can be defined as a participatory approach in which field work, document studies and interviews form the basis for data collection. The suggested activities that students used were development-oriented methods. Before the project's implementation, instructional texts and supplementary examination criteria were written with a view to guaranteeing scientific excellence, with the main aim of improving professional relevance. The results show that the course tutor initially had some trouble communicating disposition and structure, which meant that some of the students at first had doubts. Despite this, the summary assessment is that the development-oriented approach implemented with scientific quality enhanced the students` readiness for future professions. Keywords: education, action research, teacher training, thesis projects.