Formative research at the university: Meanings conferred by faculty at an Education Department

Within the framework of formative research, a series of subjective constructs about its understanding and transcendence arises. This prompts the need to determine the meanings assigned to its pedagogical implementation in teacher training. To this end, seven professors from the Department of Educational Sciences at the National University of San Agustin in Arequipa (Peru) were interviewed for the purpose of identifying their conceptualization, the distinctions they make from scientific research, the required characteristics and their expectations on the subject. The results show that teachers express diverse educational perspectives regarding formative research, related more closely to the training of researchers than to teaching. Likewise, they subtly distinguish formative research from scientific research in the strict sense, which leads to confusion between them; on the other hand, they emphasize the development of cognitive abilities linked to research, and finally, they situate various performance expectations in the formative research process that are not always specified in teaching. The meanings assigned to formative research differ and reveal misunderstandings, but also unveil coincidences in terms of the training aspects of research, which leads to the need to devise strategies to better face challenges related to teaching and socio-professional issues.