Encouraging reflection in preservice teachers through response journals

Student‐teachers' concerns about teaching practice

“…While there are studies which have attempted to quantify reflection (Sparks-Langer et al, 1990;Seng, 2001), most of our understanding of reflection in teacher education has been derived from qualitative research (Wade & Yarbrough, 1996;Barksdale-Ladd et al, 2001;Darling, 2001;Cautreels, 2003). Increasingly, learning journals are used as a way to initiate critical reflection in university students, whereas many teacher training programmes utilise journals as vehicles for systematic reflection (Bolin, 1990;Hoover, 1994;Clarke, 1995;Black et al, 2000;Trotman & Kerr, 2001;Bain et al, 2002;Good & Whang, 2002;Spalding & Wilson, 2002). The response journal as 'a notebook or folder in which students record, in a variety of formats, their personal reactions to, questions about, and reflections on what they read, write, observe, listen to, discuss, do and think' (Parsons, 1994, p. 12), actually allows students to ask questions, make connections, admit discrepancies, consider alternatives and grow intellectually.…”

The effects of using blogs and webquests in teaching pre-service teachers

“…Students' engagement and participation lead to increase in the students' learning especially when the time of writing their own ideas increases (Pearson, 2010). Moreover, using blogs in teaching preservice teachers served in allowing them to share their experiences and reflect on them (Good & Whang, 2002). Commenting on their teaching experiences and participating in sharing solutions of each other's teaching problems served in forming an ongoing cooperative support in their professional life.…”

Assessing Our Students Assessing Their Students: Support and Impact of Preservice Teachers on P–5 Student Learning

“…Finally, ST preservice teachers selected a featured student, who they were required to monitor closely throughout the instruction of the unit, investigate the case more in-depth in the area of daily performance, reflect on their contribution to the P-5 student's learning achievement, and provide communication with parents. These critical reflections, aligning closely with our College of Education motto, Reflective Teachers for Diverse Learners (College of Education, n.d.) and following a process emphasized widely in teacher preparation programs (Darling-Hammond, Hammerness, Grossman, Rust, & Shulman, 2006;Dunphy, 2010;Good & Whang, 2002;Myers, 2013;Sims & Walsh, 2009), provided evidence of preservice teachers' professional development. This reflection process allowed preservice teachers to consciously examine their practices and the effects on their featured P-5 students, thus contributing to their significant Downloaded by [Yale School of Medicine] at 13:00 25 July 2015…”