Abstract
ABSTRACT Teacher reflection is part of teacher education worldwide and often done through discussion or in writing. This study looks into student teachers’ experiences of reflecting on the development of teacher identity through a photo reflection report instead of a traditional written report. The study examines student teachers’ experiences of how a photo reflection report can help them consider their emerging teacher identity and developmental process as a teacher during their one year of pedagogical studies. The participants (n = 27) compiled a photo report with at least seven photos with text descriptions according to selected guiding questions. Data of participant experiences were collected through an online questionnaire at the end of a subject teacher education programme in Finland. The questionnaire data were analysed with thematic analysis. The findings show that the student teachers found the photo reflection report a meaningful and enjoyable way to consider their development as teachers. The photos helped to structure reflection and analyse different aspects of teacherhood. The photo report allowed sufficient flexibility and freedom to make the reflection personal and about one’s own story, which was considered valuable.
Highlights
This article explores student teachers’ experiences of teacher reflection that is done through a photo reflection report instead of a traditional written report in initial subject teacher education
The findings show that the student teachers found the photo reflection report a meaningful and enjoyable way to consider their development as teachers
As student teachers are often burdened with numerous writing assignments, a photo reflection report was invented as an innovative pedagogical tool that would offer student teachers a new approach to process and describe their feelings and considerations of their teacherhood
Summary
This article explores student teachers’ experiences of teacher reflection that is done through a photo reflection report instead of a traditional written report in initial subject teacher education. Teacher reflection is considered an essential component of teacher development in teacher education programmes worldwide. As student teachers are often burdened with numerous writing assignments, a photo reflection report was invented as an innovative pedagogical tool that would offer student teachers a new approach to process and describe their feelings and considerations of their teacherhood. The photo reflection report is inspired by the idea of Empowering Photography (Savolainen, 2009). Student teachers were asked to compile a report with photos that are meaningful and that make visible important issues or aspects of their emerging teacher identity and teacher development.
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