Analyzing the Pre-Service Science Teacher Community's Reflection on their Instructions from the Cultural Historical Activity Theoretical Perspective: A Case of Three Years of Biological Laboratory Class

Abstract

In this study, we analyzed the co-reflection of pre-service teacher community in three years of post-class discussions (PCD) on the basis of cultural historical activity theory in the case of an biological laboratory class program. We figured out the sociocultural elements of co-reflection of community using activity system suggested by Engestrӧm. We also analyzed the aspect of reflection in terms of both 'the diversity of reflection subjects' and 'the practicality of reflection.' Finally, limitations of co-reflection were sought in a process of continuos circulation of reflection and practice. The results show that the sociocultural factors of 3-year-PCD changed, and in these changes, 'regular PCD,' 'introduction of tools for facilitating reflection,' 'transition of the subject in PCD from researcher to pre-service teachers' are remarkable. And in these process, co-reflection made positive progress since the content of reflection became diverse and practical. However, in some subjects such as 'managing time,' 'participation of students,' 'mentor's role (a kind of teaching manual),' reflective practice have not developed and similar patterns of discussion were repeated. From these results, we suggested ways of facilitating pre-service teacher community's co-reflection from the viewpoint of an activity system.

Analyzing the Growth of a Pre-Service Science Teacher Community through the Lens of Cultural Historical Activity Theory: The Case of a Three-Year Voluntary Science Teaching Program

“…In our other papers, we provided a full account of the cycles of research as the research inquiries evolved according to the PST group's needs and issues, and a detailed analysis of the improved level of the PSTs' reflection over three years which showed the evidence of the professional growth of the PST group Shim et al, 2015). In this paper, we focus on explicating how the growth of the PST group occurred as the members engaged in addressing issues over the three years, with a focus on the changes of the science program that showed the outcome of the group's increasing professional growth.…”