In recent years, Austrian teacher education was faced with far-reaching reforms based on an expertise on the future of pedagogical professions (PädagogInnenbildung NEU) by the Austrian Ministries of Education and of Research in 2010. Therein, the recommendation was expressed that scientificity and research need to be established as constitutive elements of teacher education with the goal to support research-related attitudes and an inquiry habit of mind (Brown & Malin, 2017; Reitinger, 2013). Groß Ophoff and Cramer (2022) identify the latter “soft” aspect of research competence as the intention to use evidence, which marks the Rubicon between predecisional phase and volitional processes (Heckhausen, 1989) of RIEP. However, findings on influencing attitudinal factors and the effects of inquiry learning in teacher training (Groß Ophoff et al., 2018; Wessels et al., 2019) raise the question, to what extent this can be accomplished in teacher education: The two studies presented aimed therefore at exploring (1) how useful Austrian teacher students find research and for what, and (2) to what extent their intention to use research can be predicted by the perceived value, but also their research-related learning opportunities (RLO). Data is analysed via structural equation modelling (Muthén & Muthén, 2017). In Study 1 (Haberfellner, 2016), 295 students at two teacher training institutions were surveyed about their perception of the utility value of research evidence (e.g., for their bachelor thesis, or teaching in classrooms) and their inquiry habit of mind. Study 2 was carried out in 2021 at two institutions. 125 Teacher training students were surveyed about the same topics as in Study 1, but also about RLO (Rueß et al., 2016). Results from Study 1 indicate, that the perceived value of evidence for classroom teaching has a positive effect on the general intention to use research, even though research appears to be mainly perceived as useful for thesis writing. Student teachers’ research-related mindset could be further differentiated in Study 2, according to which they particularly show a pronounced praxeological (research averse) stance. Vice versa, only students’ research-oriented stance (orienting lesson development on scientific principles as a necessity) could be predicted by the perceived usefulness of research, but also by the extent of RLO during their studies. The results will be discussed against current developments in Austrian teacher education still faced with the challenge that the aspirations and ideas of academization come up against structures and traditions that are sometimes at odds with each other.

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