Practice-oriented learning and professional competence of future teachers: a scoping-conceptual review and structural equation modelling agenda

Introduction Effective teacher education is critical for preparing educators who can respond to diverse classroom demands and translate educational theory into professional practice. Methods This scoping—conceptual review synthesised 103 sources on practice-oriented learning (POL), professional competence, and the methodological contribution of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in teacher education research. Searches were conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, and Crossref, with additional backward and forward citation tracing. Eligible sources were screened against explicit criteria and coded for POL design features, competence dimensions, mediating mechanisms, contextual moderators, methodological approach, and evidence quality. A formal quality-appraisal and evidence-weighting procedure informed the synthesis. Results The synthesis shows that POL is most strongly associated with competence development when authentic school-based experience, mentored enactment, systematic reflection, structured feedback, and competence-aligned assessment are integrated as mutually reinforcing components. Reflective practice, teaching self-efficacy, professional identity, and teaching readiness emerged as plausible mediating mechanisms. Mentor quality, institutional capacity, programme design, and national policy context influenced the transferability of POL outcomes across settings. Discussion The review positions SEM as a theory-testing approach for future POL research because it can examine latent competence constructs, mediation, moderation, and cross-context comparability. The article contributes an integrated conceptual, methodological, and evidence-appraised agenda for designing, evaluating, and modelling POL in teacher education.