This article presents action research conducted with student teachers of religious education in England, using theoretical propositions from Robert Jackson's interpretive approach to religious education. In the context of developing a master's-level initial teacher training course and international debate about the role of academic study in teacher education, the research investigated possibilities for using students’ exploration of theory to promote their professional development. Using a theoretical framework influenced by the work of Yrjo Engestrom, the article highlights the importance of peer group exploration in enabling student teachers to use received theory as a stimulus to their own theorizing and of university-based courses in providing opportunities for this
