Perceptions Of Portfolios Research Articles

Research on portfolios in teacher education: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Portfolios are credited with an array of potentials (e.g. to reinforce student teachers’ professionalisation). Their use in teacher education has rapidly increased in recent years, particularly because of system-wide implementations. Nevertheless, studies on portfolios have not followed this growth. A systematic review of studies is pending. Hence, this study systematically examines the available portfolio research literature (N = 246 texts), focusing on joint research topics and analyses quantitative empirical effects (e.g. on student teachers’ reflexivity) in more depth using vote-counting. Overall, there are many findings on student teachers’ perceptions of portfolios, but only a few examine portfolios’ quantitative empirical effects. Findings indicate that working with portfolios is likely to increase the level of student teachers’ reflective writing. Even though the analysed research provides initial insights into portfolios, their significance (e.g. effects on developing professional knowledge) remains unclear.

Students’ Perceptions of Portfolio as a Motivating Factor in Learning English as a Foreign Language

The goal of this study is to find out what students think about using a portfolio as a motivator tool in studying English as a foreign language. As they include both students' and teachers' viewpoints on the learning process, portfolios are viewed as potential assessment tools. This study made use of qualitative methods of research. We have used interviews, which was conducted with 70 students, in four high schools in Durres, Albania. Students' perceptions of utilizing portfolios as an assessment tool revealed that portfolios help students be more autonomous, promote critical thinking, and increase motivation. Portfolio is an effective assessment approach since it encourages students to improve in maturity and independence rather of simply exposing their flaws. Portfolio helps them to be critical thinkers and independent consequently motivating them in learning English as a foreign language. This study will assist teachers in using portfolios as an assessment tool to encourage students to learn English as a foreign language.
 
 Received: 5 June 2021 / Accepted: 13 October 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021

Postgraduate Orthodontics Students’ and Mentors’ Perceptions of Portfolios and Discussion as Tools for Development of Reflection

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of a portfolio learning strategy designed to develop students' reflection abilities in a postgraduate orthodontic program in the UK. Nine first-year postgraduate orthodontic students and seven mentors participated in the one-year program, which included a reflective portfolio, mentorship, and discussion. After the program, the students' and mentors' perceptions were collected using focus groups and individual interviews, respectively. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four categories emerged. The first, reflection, was considered a skill to learn, and time was needed for students to fully understand its meaning and achieve its outcomes. The second theme, characteristics of reflection, was descriptive at the beginning and more critical at the end of the experience. The third theme, outcomes of reflection, involved students' improved problem-solving and action-planning abilities and increased self-awareness, motivation, confidence, and communication skills. In the fourth theme, stimulation of reflection, students did not agree with mentors regarding the importance of reflective writing, but they recognized the value of the portfolio's reflective log in facilitating the reflective process. There was greater agreement between students and mentors regarding discussions with mentors and among peers as tools to achieve higher levels of reflection. Overall, these students and mentors considered the strategy an effective tool for improving students' reflection.

EFL writers’ perceptions of portfolio keeping

Although portfolios in writing in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning are alternative tools, the portfolio process mainly concerns the decisions of language teachers rather than students’ perceptions of portfolios. The present study aims to descriptively measure the perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students towards portfolio keeping. The sample group in the study consisted of 204 EFL students. A portfolio contribution questionnaire and a portfolio problem questionnaire were used to collect quantitative data. Two results were obtained from the study: (1) portfolio keeping in EFL writing is beneficial to the improvement of vocabulary and grammar knowledge, reading, research, and writing skills; and (2) EFL students perceive some problems during the portfolio keeping process.

Lecturers’ and students’ perceptions of portfolios in an English School of Nursing

This study was aimed at comparing perceptions of portfolios between student nurses at the early and latter stages of their training and how they compare with their lecturers' perceptions. Portfolios are used widely in nurse education. There has been research into how portfolios are perceived and understood, but there is little evidence into how student nurses and lecturers compare quantitatively in perceptions of portfolio use. Survey. Forty-eight nursing lecturers and 413 nursing students, from a multi-centred School of Nursing in the UK, completed a questionnaire. Data were analysed with exploratory factor analysis, varimax rotation of the factor solution, internal consistency analysis, and analysis of variance. Five factors were extracted, which were labelled: (1) portfolios as a means of skills acquisition, (2) other means of teaching and learning beyond using portfolios, (3) processes of showing the portfolio to others, (4) having favourable attitudes towards portfolios and (5) lecturers' ability to share knowledge about portfolios. Scales developed from these five factors had high levels of internal consistency. Lecturers were the most positive of the three respondent groups in their views of portfolios, whereas third- and fourth-year students were the least positive. There were significant differences between student nurses and their lecturers, concerning how information on portfolios is communicated by the lecturer. There were significant discrepancies between lecturers and student nurses in their views on how portfolios are used. The value of portfolios becomes less salient to student nurses towards the end of their training. Lecturers and clinical mentors need to look at students' perceptions and why some nursing students' views on portfolios deteriorate. There could be regular discussions with students to see how and why the students begin to see portfolios as less useful for their education and continual professional development.

Portfolio as a Learning Tool: Students’ Perspective

Portfolio writing is a method of encouraging reflective learning among professionals. Although portfolio-based learning is popular among educators, not many studies have been done to determine students’ perceptions of portfolio as a learning tool. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 143 medical students to find out their perceptions of the portfolio as a learning tool. A majority of the students felt that the portfolio is a good learning tool. However, they also perceived that it is stressful and time-consuming to develop a proper portfolio. The study indicates that students need appropriate guidance from the academic staff for the system to succeed.

Portfolios: narratives for learning

Portfolios as an assessment tool have been used in education consistently over the past decade. Their use and structure, as described in the literature, has been strongly debated. This article discusses the current perceptions of portfolios as an assessment strategy in an educational context. With many formats used in the development of portfolios and many perceptions as to their value and use, inquiry into the need for a consistent supportive framework is overdue. To this end narrative as a method of inquiry and a genre will be investigated. Congruence between the conceptual framework of narrative and both the process and the phenomenon of portfolios will be discussed in an endeavour to construct a meaningful configuration that could serve the development of purposeful portfolios.