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This exploratory study consists of a description of which kind of key learning experiences student teachers' have to face during their first practicum in schools and how they positioned their selves in these situations. Twenty-seven second-year student teachers were interviewed.Five key learning experiences were identified: classroom instruction, socialization, conflicting between pre-existing conceptions and the reality, classroom management, and diversity. Two kinds of positions were adopted by them when they faced these experiences: I as a student and I as a teacher. They positioned as students when they focused their attention on observing educational practices and fully and unreservedly accepting their mentors' strategies and they positioned as teachers when they acted and made decisions with autonomy and applied the theoretical knowledge acquired. The difficulties students face in positioning themselves as teachers were found to relate to all the key learning experiences except for those connected to do with classroom instruction.

This interpretative, cross-sectional study analysed the perceptions of students in their last year of their bachelor's in primary school education with regard to educational inquiry. It explored their understanding of what this concept means and its benefits, as well as the procedures, stakeholders and competences involved in research. The data were collected using the TePi (Teacher Professional Identity) questionnaire and a focus group. The results indicate that overall the students did not view research as an integral part of their professional identity and established anecdotal relations between the usefulness of research in classrooms, its association with educational improvement processes and their own responsibilities. Furthermore, they had difficulties systematically defining the procedures associated with research and did not consider themselves fully competent to conduct research themselves. Based on the results, we can discern a need to revise training programmes to adopt a more research-based approach if we want future teachers to gain competence in and take responsibility for innovation processes at schools. RESUMENEl estudio, de carácter interpretativo y de corte transversal, analizó las percepciones de estudiantes de último curso de Educación Primaria sobre la indagación educativa. Se exploraron tanto la comprensión de lo que conlleva como sus beneficios, procedimientos, agentes involucrados y las competencias necesarias para su desarrollo. Los datos se recogieron a partir del cuestionario TePi (Teacher Professional Identity) y el desarrollo de un grupo focal. Los resultados indican que los estudiantes, en general, no concibieron la investigación como parte integrante de su identidad profesional y establecieron relaciones anecdóticas entre la utilidad de la investigación en las aulas, su vínculo con los procesos de mejora educativa y su propia responsabilidad. Además, tuvieron dificultades para definir los procedimientos vinculados a la investigación de manera sistemática y se consideraron poco competentes para su desarrollo. De los resultados se desprende la necesidad de revisar los programas formativos desde un enfoque basado en la ARTICLE HISTORY