Time to think? Primary school teacher students reflecting on their MA thesis research processes

Abstract

The aim of the study is to investigate reflective processes which take place in primary school teacher education, especially when conducting research for a masters thesis and reflecting on that process. Written reflection has been studied widely, but the point of view taken in this research seems to be new. This research seeks to answer two questions: (1) What kind of reflective learning processes can be found in students’ conceptions of research processes; and (2) How do students view their development during the research process? The data of this article consists of essays by nine class teacher students. The results of this study show that conducting research is a significant learning event in a teacher student’s journey towards becoming a teacher, and by reflecting on their research processes the students are able to analyze their development as researchers as well as their learning during the research process.