Purpose

This research focused on the practical knowledge sources and theoretical transformation among student in teacher training universities in Taiwan and Guangdong. The acquisition, development, utilization and differences of practical knowledge were discussed. This study attempted to discover the tangible ways and critical points of practice-oriented teacher training. To offer information for future educators and teachers in the aspect of theoretical development and teaching practice.

Design/methodology/approach

To satisfy the diversity and variety of participants’ backgrounds. This study has collected student-teacher personal opinions with unconstructed, informal and semi-structured interviews, focus groups. The was applied to explore the teaching reflections and reasoning process among the student teachers. After the verification, explaining the difficulties that occurred during the training program among the student teachers was made. Furthermore, discussions had centered on the similarities and differences of acquiring practical knowledge amongst the student teachers in the two places.

Findings/results

This study has compared student teachers in Taiwan and Guangdong as a group to examine the training process and summarized a framework for practical knowledge acquisition, comprising of “four phases” and “three processes”.

Including teaching cases, prolonged teaching reasoning time and practical knowledge utilization. The similarities and differences of acquiring practical knowledge amongst the student teachers in the two places were discussed.

Research findings: The understanding of practical knowledge acquisition and practical situational reasoning among student teachers was beneficial to the connected theoretical knowledge and teaching practices. It also enhanced their development of practical knowledge.

For student teachers in Taiwan and Guangdong, the realization and understanding of practical knowledge’s reticence are challenging. They might need to enhance their tact of teaching. Their abilities in self-correction, monitoring, and situational sensitivity are weaker than experienced teachers. It is difficult to transform and create certain scenarios to increase students’ learning motivation within a short period of placement duration, let alone develop their teaching styles and images.

Originality/value

When talking about practical knowledge and teaching practices, most researchers focused on the relationship. There is a paucity in the literature to discuss the development, utilization, similarities and differences of practical knowledge amongst teachers from various areas. This was the exact contribution of the current study.

In the literature, there is a gap exploring the practical knowledge acquisition and development among student teachers. The development of this high-level cognitive ability does not achieve within short period of time. A detailed and well-structured training program will be required to enrich personal practical knowledge.

In conducting this study, the effective monitoring of the entire progression of learning and professional development of teacher education can be achieved. The connection between theory and practice for the teacher program can be adjusted more flexibly.

Suggestions/implications

According to the results, more effective integration and adjustment between theory and practice can be obtained. It would offer a clear direction for the teacher training courses and provide a better structure of professional learning and development. With these implications, institutions for teacher education can provide more educational theories and more chances for students to take part in teaching practice. Such on-site experience would expand student’s understanding and allow them to be the reinventors of knowledge and culture.