Abstract

The present study delved into the conceptions of pre-service teachers in the pedagogical programs of the faculties of education of the universities of Greater Concepción (Chile). The research is presented using a qualitative approach through a hermeneutic tradition. The key informants were 68 students from five pedagogical training programs belonging to three Chilean universities. The information was collected through semi-structured interviews composed of three dimensions: conceptions, factors associated with learning, and the learning practices used by pre-service teachers. The information collected was coded using the QDA Miner Lite software and the thematic content was analysed using theoretical and emergent coding. The results show that the participants have, in the initial stages of their training, a behaviourist conception of learning that evolves towards behaviourist, cognitive and constructivist conceptions. At the end of their training, the conceptions of learning were different according to the career they were studying for. On the other hand, the learning practices were similar among the students and, as they advanced in their training, greater complexity and variety were identified. The factors that influence their learning were their teachers, family support, friends and fellow students, field trips and university spaces, such as seminars, conferences and access to a physical and digital library. It is concluded that it is necessary to go deeper into the characteristics of the training of each career to understand the differences in the construction of the concept of learning. © 2025 Society for Research and Knowledge Management. All rights reserved.