Teacher Reflection Research Articles

Obstacles to a Favorable Attitude Towards Reflective Practices in Preservice Teachers in Training

<p style="text-align: justify;">Reflective practices have been recognized as a predictor of professional development because they favor teaching changes that improve the students’ learning. The expressions reflection, practice, and reflective professionals are very present in training programs, but with a diversity of meanings and interpretations. The concept of reflection is linked to professional development and teaching identity. The goal of training reflective teachers is shared on an international level, however, the educational conditions that favor a positive attitude toward reflection have not been sufficiently researched. This article aims to describe the obstacles to a positive attitude toward reflection in pedagogy students according to their teachers. This study is qualitative with an interpretive approach for which an instrumental case study was conducted with 15 university teachers in six Chilean regions. The results show that both inter-institutional conditions negatively affect attitudes, as well as the lack of models of reflective practice, insufficient teaching, the way teacher reflection is evaluated, and the barriers to reflective practice in schools. The results indicate the need to intentionally teach pedagogical reflection practices and help to recognize its benefits for teaching.</p>

School Projects from the Perspectives of the Project School Teachers

This research aims to identify the views and reflections of teachers working in project schools on the meaning and impact of the projects carried out in Turkish schools. The research was designed in the case study model. The data of the research were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers working in project schools in Muğla. The interviews were evaluated under the themes of "the underlying meanings of projects", "the reasons for teachers to involve in projects", "the effects of projects on teachers" and "the effects of projects on students". According to the research results, the participants defined projects as works that focus on quantity rather than quality, as works only for display, as incompatible with the education system, as a discredited concept, and as drudgery. The participants stated that the teachers participated in the projects due to the pressure from the school principals and central education system as well as aiming to put forth useful work, execute the task perfunctorily, and gain an advantage. In addition, the participants expressed that the projects carried out in schools have positive effects for teachers such as increasing job satisfaction, providing personal development opportunities and enabling collaboration with colleagues, as well as negative effects such as burnout, waste of time, inefficiency and not contributing to professional development. Finally, the participants asserted that while the projects provided positive effects for students such as socialization, motivation, self-confidence, and teamwork, they had negative effects such as not supporting academic success, disruption of lessons, boredom, and incorrect learning of science.

Reconstruction of a pre-service teacher reflection through objective hermeneutics

Reconstruction of a pre-service teacher reflection through objective hermeneutics

Some opportunities of developing reflectivity and lesson observing of beginner folk music teachers

The purpose of this article is to present the experience of using the five-step lesson observation method in the development of novice teacher reflectivity. For the last year of their studies, the folk music teachers have a reflective seminary to help them develop their reflectivity. The main problem was that the students were shy if they were observed but they were judgemental being observers. Usually observing someone’s lesson we have feelings and judgments for the first time. To help professional pedagogical conversations we set a five-step method of objective observing. This method can be used when we observe each other’s lessons, even if we look back at our lessons from video recordings. We made qualitative research on how the beginner teachers attitudes change before and after using the five-step method.

Latina teacher reflections on critical linguistic cariño: Disrupting the raciolinguistic realities of Latinx multilingual students

ABSTRACT In this paper, we look at pedagogies of care articulated by Latina high school teachers who teach Latinx multilingual students in a variety of content areas, including Latinx studies. We draw on raciolinguistics to understand how the teachers in this study practice “critical linguistic cariño,” a radical form of care that considers how linguistic practices of Latinx students are racialized within the U.S. and beyond. The findings demonstrate how critical linguistic cariño is a pedagogical orientation that moves beyond simply caring for multilingual students. Instead, it is praxis that recognizes the sociopolitical contexts of language as central to care. As the teachers in this study have highlighted, to care for Latinx students is to love and actively create spaces for their full cultural and linguistic identities as they exist within these contexts.

Exploring relationships that college instructors seek to build with intention in chemistry classrooms

Teaching is a complex activity that demands paying attention to diverse components and relationships that affect the learning process, and acting with intentionality to build and nurture those connections. In this qualitative research study, we proposed and used an intentional–relational framework to explore differences in the relationships that four general chemistry instructors sought and acted to build with intention in their classes. Our goal was not to evaluate the quality of instruction but rather to characterize instructors’ practices to gain insight into educational relationships that may affect student performance. All instructors in our sample manifested a strong interest in helping students succeed in their studies and relied on a variety of resources designed and integrated into their courses to support student learning. They mostly differed in the extent to which they attended and responded to contextual issues, intentionally seeking to make content relevant to students, helping them build connections between their interests and the discipline, and adapting resources to create more inclusive learning environments. These differences seem to affect student performance in common exams. Our study highlights the importance of analyzing the relationships that instructors build with intention to support professional development and teacher reflection, and better understand the impact of instructors’ decisions on student performance.

Teacher Training in Coaching Approach – Benefits and Challenges

The implementation of the coaching approach in education offers numerous benefits for all participants in school life. Besides enhancing pedagogical effectiveness, its aim is to promote the development of awareness, reflection, and self-regulation skills for teachers, students, and parents alike. This article summarizes research on the benefits and challenges faced by teachers who have participated in training programs for applying the coaching approach in their work. The study was conducted among 243 teachers who underwent professional pedagogical specializations and short courses in which the discipline "Coaching Approach in School Environment" was studied. The focus of the curriculum is on the key skills that a teacher-coach should possess: skills in active listening, questioning, and providing effective feedback. The main elements in the process of training teachers in the application of the approach include theoretical foundational knowledge, practical individual and group tasks, demonstrations, and reflective exercises. After completing the training, participants undertake an assignment oriented towards their practice, provoking self-reflection. Based on their responses, the most frequently mentioned benefits and challenges of implementing the coaching approach in the school environment are identified. Conclusions and guidelines for expanding and deepening the preparation of educators to integrate coaching into their work are outlined.

The interplay of normative, descriptive, and prescriptive discourses in shaping student teacher development: an analysis of physical education inspection reports

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze physical education (PE) inspection discourse for insights into mentoring practices and teaching quality improvement. Examining reports provided perspective into normative, descriptive, and prescriptive evaluation aspects shaping student teacher development. Methods: The study involved 29 Tunisian inspectors of student teachers at the High Institute of Sport and Physical Education during the Fall 2022 academic term. In total, 117 pedagogical reports were obtained confidentially for discourse analysis. The analysis focuses on three types of discourse that may be present in the inspection reports: normative, descriptive, and prescriptive. The objective is to extract the most frequently used words and verbs by inspectors and to quantify the frequency of terms related to these three dimensions. Results: Analysis of verb and word frequencies within different discourse types revealed a significant association (χ² test, P= .0013, Cramer's V= .17, moderate effect size). Pedagogical inspectors predominantly employed normative language, with 78.1% of words and 62.7% of verbs falling into this category. This dominance suggests a focus on guiding, advising, and encouraging teachers through references to specific standards and practices. Notably, verbs like "guide" and "suggest" (14% and 12% frequency, respectively) were prevalent, highlighting a collaborative approach over direct imposition. Conclusions: This study challenges the singular focus on discourse modalities in inspector reports, revealing a multifaceted discourse ecosystem. While normative language sets standards and benchmarks, descriptive language captures classroom realities, and prescriptive language offers targeted guidance. This interplay fosters critical reflection, professional autonomy, and continuous improvement in student teachers. Inspectors, therefore, emerge as more than evaluators; they are facilitators.

Learnings and Reflections on Transition to New Competency-based Medical Education, MBBS curriculum in Microbiology: A Cross-sectional Observational Study

Introduction: Conventional teaching in microbiology revolved around the study of microorganisms without clinical relevance. Therefore, a New Competency-based Undergraduate (UG) Medical curriculum (New CBME) was rolled out in the academic year 2019 to make Indian Medical Graduates more clinically competent yet globally relevant. Aim: To assess the impact of the change in curriculum on students’ performance and desired educational outcomes before and after the implementation of the new curriculum. Likewise, the study aimed to analyse the experiences and reflections of medical teachers towards these amendments. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 82 students from the second year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) with a traditional curriculum and 74 with the new Competency-based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum at the Department of Microbiology, Smt. B.K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre, Piparia, Vadodara, Gujarat, India, between February 2020 and November 2021. In both batches, topics from core as well as non core areas of various systems were included along with the Attitude, Ethics and Communication (AETCOM) modules. A comparison of both groups was done, and Chisquare values and p-values were calculated. Results: The batch with the new CBME curriculum was able to provide a provisional diagnosis for a case-based question better than the Traditional batch {n=60/74 (81%) vs n=44/82 (54%), p-value=0.0005, significant}. However, the correct aetiology, pathogenesis, and laboratory diagnosis were written better in the traditional batch compared to the new one, n=44/82 (54%) vs n=24/74 (32%). Regarding the AETCOM skills, the new batch had a better understanding of proper communication and ethics, i.e., 73/74 (99%), p-value<0.00001, Significant, while 66/82 students (80%) of the traditional batch and 67/74 (90%) of the new batch were aware of confidentiality issues. In viva voce, the new batch showed a lot of confusion regarding the names, types of micro-organisms, and the laboratory diagnosis of diseases caused by them compared to the traditional batch (p-value <0.00156, significant). Conclusion: After implementing the new CBME curriculum to undergraduate students and analysing the feedback of teachers and the performance of students, it was felt that an appraisal of the new curriculum is required for a satisfactory outcome in microbiology so that microbiology content can be incorporated with clinical relevance.

A case study analysis of problem-based learning within a fabrication laboratory in a southwestern secondary charter school

The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers at a southwestern secondary private charter school utilize the on-campus fabrication lab to promote the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL). Guided by the theory of constructivism, I qualitatively explored the processes teachers engage in when implementing a PBL lesson using a multi-case study design. Five teachers and two fabrication lab directors from various content areas were interviewed and observed. Five overall themes emerged from the data: 1) the differing emphasis on PBL framework components; 2) conflicts, limitations, and constraints perceived with PBL; 3) teachers use of PBL for cognitive development; 4) the role of the environment in PBL; and 5) the role of reflection in the PBL framework. Research recommendations include further exploration into the factors that contribute to a positive environment conducive to PBL, in-depth investigation into the role of each step in the PBL framework, and additional observation periods to elicit the impacts of PBL over time. Recommendations for practice include purposeful teacher reflection, scaffolded planning, strengthening connections between PBL and real-world applications, and strategies for increased student support and encouragement in the classroom.

Investigating the Link Between Instructional Leadership and Teacher Self-Efficacy: The Mediation Role of Teacher Reflection

Bu araştırmanın amacı, öğretim liderliği ile öğretmen öz yeterliği arasındaki ilişkide öğretmen yansıtma davranışının aracılık rolünü tespit etmektir. Toplam 394 öğretmenden veri toplanarak gerçekleştirilen bu kesitsel çalışmada, Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi (YEM) kullanılarak araştırma değişkenleri arasındaki bağlantıların tahmin edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma bulguları, okul müdürünün öğretim liderliği ile öğretmen öz yeterliği arasında pozitif yönlü ve anlamlı bir ilişki olduğunu göstermektedir. Ayrıca araştırma bulguları, öğretmen yansıtma davranışının bu ilişkide anlamlı bir kısmi aracılık rolü oynadığını göstermektedir. Mevcut çalışmanın bulguları, öğretim liderliğinin öğretmen öz yeterliğini etkilemedeki belirgin rolünü doğrulamaktadır. Bununla birlikte araştırma bulguları, öğretmen yansıtmasını teşvik etmenin, öğretim liderlerinin öğretmen öz yeterliğini artırmak için anahtar bir ara hedef olarak öne çıktığını göstererek uluslararası alanyazına katkı sunmaktadır. Araştırma sonuçlarına dayanarak politika ve uygulamaya dönük bazı çıkarımlar sunulmuştur.

How can tailored questions foster reflection in preservice teachers? A year-long action research study

This year-long action research (AR) study, conducted in the context of a physical education teacher education (PETE) program in Portugal, explored how critical reflection among preservice teachers (PSTs) developed in response to tailored questioning by an external facilitator (EF). Participants were six PSTs and the first author, who assumed the dual role of EF and researcher. Four AR cycles, each involving a self-reflection analysis, intervention, and the development of the PSTs’ reflections were completed. During each AR cycle, the EF examined the PSTs’ teaching-learning practices and views and generated tailored questions to support critical reflection. Data were collected through focus group interviews and written reflective journals. The EF also made participant observations to contextualize each PST's teaching-learning process, resulting in field notes. Using various question types (e.g. leading, probing, and procedural next-step questions) designed to address individual needs, PSTs progressed from a basic reflection level to thinking critically about their teaching-learning practices. The questions were helpful for PSTs in interpreting daily issues faced in teaching-learning and understanding the relevance of self-analysis and attention to learners’ needs in fostering critical reflection. Given these results, we recommend that PETE programs incorporate a component or module explicitly promoting reflection on and analysis of PSTs’ pedagogical practices.

MODEL PEMBELAJARAN PROBLEM BASED LEARNING BAGI SISWA SMA NEGERI 13 PEKANBARU DENGAN KONSEP SERVICE LEARNING

This service aims to find out how the application of the problem-based learning model and its influence on increasing student learning motivation economic in public senior high school 13 Pekanbaru The dedication method is Service Learning using the Experimental Learning model, which is carried out in direct service, namely where students are directly involved in activities accompanied by supervisors. The stages are Pre-Implementation, implementation, and Post-Implementation. The results of the dedication were that at the Pre-Implementation stage, it was found that during a survey at schools, there were still students who were less than optimal in their learning motivation, and teachers still used conventional learning models. In the Implementation stage, the results at this stage are using the problem-based learning learning model to increase learning motivation. In the Post-Implementation Stage, the assessment and reflection of students and teachers in the application of the problem-based learning model are good.

Increasing Student Activeness Through Differentiated Learning

This research was initiated by the teacher's reflection on the students' activeness in junior high school. During the learning process, it can be seen that the students' activeness of SMP Negeri 3 Jember was low. This research aimed at collecting data and information about students' activeness of the eighth grade students at SMP Negeri 3 Jember by implementing differentiation learning. Classroom action research with a qualitative approach was implemented in this study. The subject of the research was the eighth-grade students at SMP Negeri 3 Jember as many as 31 students. This research was carried out in two cycles. The design of the research consisted of (1) planning,(2) implementing, (3) acting and observing, (4) reflecting. The data were collected through observation techniques. The data were analyzed using the percentage technique. The results of the research showed that there was an increase in students' activeness by 24%. Therefore, the differentiation learning could improve the eighth-grade students' activeness at SMP Negeri 3 Jember

A Case Study of Four Pre-service Science Teachers: What Do Teacher Reflections Tell Us?

<p style="text-align: justify;">Reflection requires someone to think in deep and express the impression of a phenomenon or an event. Reflection can be defined as a mirror to look at and see the personal insights, feelings, motivation, or purposes of individuals within a particular context and practice in a realistic way. This study examined the nature of pre-service science teachers’ reflections during the last semester of the teacher education program. There were four cases as student-teachers attending science teacher education program in northwest region of Turkey. The qualitative data, written reflections and researcher field notes were utilized and analyzed through inductive methods. The results indicated that even though pre-service science teachers learned scientific practices and inquiry, they were not able to implement due to some constraints: mentor teachers forced them to teach on a traditional basis. They could only complete the required four-hour teaching practice. Student teachers reflected on their learning as becoming a science teacher, but their actions were restricted, and they could not find supportive community in school and classroom context.</p>

Language teacher psychological well-being: an insight into the impacts of emotion regulation, reflective teaching, self-efficacy, and identity in an EFL context

Teachers' psychological wellbeing is defined as their evaluation and contentment with their own fulfillment, wellness, and profession as a concept best observable in positive psychology. Therefore, the psychological well-being of teachers is intertwined with a variety of other concepts. In the past, investigations mirrored that emotional regulation, reflective teaching, self-efficacy, and identity play important roles in the psychological and mental health of language instructors. Despite the enormous impact they play, there has never been any study that specifically investigated the contribution of emotion regulation, reflective teaching, self-efficacy, or identity to the psychological well-being of language teachers. As a result, the purpose of this sturdy was to provide emphasis on the aforementioned interpersonal dynamics within an EFL context. The Language Teacher Emotion Regulation Inventory, the English Language Teacher Reflective Inventory, the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale, the Professional Identity Scale, and the Psychological Well-Being at Work were all part of an online survey that 433 EFL teachers from China responded to. The data analysis conducted with Structural Equation Modeling as well as Confirmatory Factor Analysis via LISREL 8.80 suggested that the status of language instructors' emotion control, reflective teaching, self-efficacy, and identity may be expected to be a significant indicator for their psychological well-being. This was shown to be the case after they were subjected to a questionnaire. The results highlight the need of adding reflective practices, skills for emotional management, self-efficacy beliefs, and identity reconstruction within the curriculum of teacher training programs.

Development of reflection of future biology teachers in the educational process

Development of reflection of future biology teachers in the educational process

Young children and music: Views from varied perspectives

This issue is comprised of three original research reports as well as one theoretical article. Article topics include the relationship between vocal pitch matching and academic performance, empathic creativity during child–adult play episodes, encouraging vocal play among generalist teachers’ engagement with children, and redefining a teacher education approach to emphasize musical process over product and increased teacher reflection. The editorial highlights the value of inter- and transdisciplinary work pertaining to young children and music, and encourages authors from a broad array of professions to submit their work to the journal.

Introducing Reflective Teaching Practice in Remote School: Teacher-Student Interaction Patterns

This study aimed to analyze classroom interactions in the reflective teaching practice based on learning objectives and types of interactions, types of student questions and answers, and gender and student achievement. Teacher-student interactions, particularly in reflective learning, have been discussed in depth in urban schools. However, few studies reported the interactions between teachers and students in remote areas. The data collected for this cross-sectional study are part of a broader longitudinal research project. The participants comprised 46 students and 4 teachers from 3 remote schools representing 3 districts in Indonesia. The results showed that most of the teacher-student interactions in reflective teaching practice contained feedback that focused on students' correct and incorrect answers yet rarely discussed how students got answers. Teacher reflection was evaluative by discussing matters related to learning objectives. While reflections have not yet been related to the teacher’s method. This study also reported that gender and achievement did not affect the reflective teaching practice.

Supporting teacher identity development of preservice middle school mathematics teachers in informal learning environments

ABSTRACT This study focused on the reflections of preservice middle school mathematics teachers who participated in informal learning environments (science and mathematics camps) as assistant teachers. It was aimed to explore whether participation in these informal settings contributed to their teacher identity development. The findings revealed that preservice teachers developed a better understanding of learner-centered teaching and learner characteristics and reflect better on their existing teacher identities based on their experiences in the science and mathematics camps. Furthermore, their reflections revealed that they became more confident about their teaching capabilities and motivated to begin teaching. Therefore, it is possible to claim that the experiences in the science and mathematics camps cognitively, affectively, and emotionally contributed to the participant preservice teachers’ teacher identity development.