The aim of this study was to investigate the development of the perceived and actual research competence of pre-service teachers enrolled in a master’s programme using a pre-test–post-test research design. Research competence, which encompasses a range of knowledge, skills, and attitudes and includes both perceived (self-reported) and actual (objective) concepts, is critical for effective teaching, teacher professional development, and the integration of research-based practises into the classroom. The study examined how perceived research competence, as measured by a web questionnaire, changed over the course of the semester and how these changes corresponded to actual research competence as measured by the knowledge test. The participants were pre-service teachers from the University of Ljubljana who completed both the web questionnaire and the knowledge test at two time intervals during a research-based course. The results indicate a significant increase in perceived research competence, especially in terms of research knowledge and skills, as well as a significant improvement in actual research competence. While there was a statistically significant increase in positive attitudes towards research, this increase was moderate. This study also emphasises the alignment between perceived and actual research competence over time, suggesting that practical research experiences help students to develop more realistic self-assessments. By furthering the understanding of how research competence develops over time, this study provides actionable insights for the design of more effective research-based teaching.

In many countries in recent decades, great importance has been placed on the concept of quality assurance in education. In Slovenian schools, quality assessment and assurance processes are based on a combination of self-evaluation and external evaluation, although significantly more weight has been attached to self-evaluation than external evaluation lately. Efforts to achieve the highest possible levels of quality and school work performance are based on the assumption that the concept of quality should be developed at the level of the professional autonomy of schools and individual teachers. Our empirical research, which was conducted on a sample of 1,530 teachers, counselors, and headteachers of primary and secondary schools in Slovenia, showed that the majority of professional workers in education recognize the importance of conducting self-evaluation for their profession. Using factor analysis, it was established that the frequency of conducting self-evaluation in schools is most affected by the following factors: (a) the opinion of headteachers, teachers, and school counselors on the positive effects of self-evaluation; (b) the school climate; (c) the attitude of headteachers, teachers, and school counselors toward research; and (d) the attitude of headteachers, teachers, and school counselors toward their own professional development. Multiple regression analysis of the obtained factors was made, and a model was designed to predict the frequency of the performance of self-evaluation. It was established that the frequency of conducting self-evaluation is most strongly affected by the attitude of headteachers, teachers, and school counselors toward their own professional development and by their opinions on the positive effects of self-evaluation.

Initial teacher education is increasingly expected to prepare pre-service teachers for ongoing professional development and teacher research, yet it remains unclear how systematically these competences are embedded in programmes and how prepared pre-service teachers feel. We used a mixed-methods design, combining a content analysis of 47 teacher education programmes at the University of Ljubljana with two cross-sectional surveys involving 443 pre-service (303 enrolled in first-cycle programmes and 140 in second-cycle programmes) and 138 in-service teachers. Programme documents frequently referenced professional development and research; however, research was more often stated as a competence outcome than as an explicit programme goal. In the surveys, pre-service teachers rated teaching competences highly, whereas perceived current competence was lower for professional development and lowest for teacher research, particularly for active research engagement. Across all items, pre-service teachers reported substantial gaps between current and required competence. Perceived current competence increased with study stage, while required competence varied less by stage. Required competence ratings were largely aligned between pre-service and in-service teachers, although pre-service teachers assigned higher ratings to selected research engagement items. The findings indicate a misalignment between curricular emphasis and perceived preparedness, and support stronger integration of practice-embedded professional learning and inquiry across coursework.