Developing the quality of reflection by post-graduate

student teachers, of physical

education in initial teacher education, through

supporting reflective practice.

 

As Coultas (2008) states: “An effective teacher is a learner”

How do individuals become ‘agents of change’: an independent thinker who can learn from experience and make a difference?

Question: do student teachers have to learn to learn differently ? (most difficult for young PGCE students)

Consideration – Bloom’s (1955) taxonomy of learning – moving from knowledge and comprehension towards evaluation and synthesis

Dewey (1933) stages of learning were used as a starting point to explore reflection.

Dewey’s five stage model (suggestion, problem, hypothesis, testing and reflection) eventually became an analytic tool to interpret the data.

Why Dewey ? (and not Kolb (1985), Moon (2004, 2008), Bloom (1955)).

Dewey

In order to improve the quality of student learning I needed to be more aware of how novice teachers reflect.

I introduced a reflective learning strategy to the PGCE year, used the learning activities to collect data, evaluated the data and altered the activities to the following cohort

So I undertook an action learning project to increase

my awareness of student learning

Aim of the study

I undertook an action research project Involving a prior study (intervention one and

evaluation one) followed by a main study (intervention two and evaluation two)

It should be noted: The participants of the prior study were different

from those of the main study It was not possible to give feedback to the

research population but results were used to influence the next cohort of PGCE students.

In order to improve my action learning:

13 participants PGCE PE students studying within one ITE

provider All students were 22 – 23 years of age All students had progressed straight from an

undergraduate degree

Research population

To what extent (a consideration of levels) do student teachers demonstrate reflection through Dewey’s stages of learning?

How reflective learning activities impact (progression through the levels) on student teachers’ ability to reflect?

To what extent do students use narrative to reflect?

The three research questions were:

The interpretative approach generated qualitative data on the views and experiences of students during their teacher training.

Dewey’s (1933) framework used as an analytic tool (suggestion, problem, hypothesis, reasoning, testing)

The data arose from the different reflective learning activities and subsequent interviews.

action research project

1st - Reflective Learning strategy (prior study) (which included: focus groups, ALS, diaries, questionnaires)

Conclusions drawn

2nd - Reflective Learning strategy (which included: discussion groups, ALS, journals, interviews)

Data presented

Intervention

Identified three levels of reflection Superficial engagement (description,

“mulling over”, unjustified conclusions) Dewey reflection (using the five stages) Enhanced reflection (context, distance,

ownership, power and emotion – factors most relevant to PGCE students highlighted by the prior study)

Findings showed:

All participants showed signs of superficial engagement comprising description, “mulling over” and unjustified conclusions

five showed Dewey reflection with two demonstrating ‘enhanced’ reflection (involving context distance, ownership, power and emotion)

all participants used a full and coherent narrative to reconsider their experience.

Findings showed:

Given the ‘tools’ used in this study: ALS were the most effective for producing all

three levels of reflection and a full and coherent narrative

The use of narrative however made the stories personal with little distance or 3-D effect (Moon, 2008).

Reflective Learning strategy

Three levels of reflection – superficial engagement, “mulling over”, unjustified conclusions

ITE need to consider pedagogical approach that enables reflection / CPD programmes need to be aware of the benefits of enhanced reflection

Narrative is more evident than literature suggests

ALS encourage oral narrative

Conclusions:

Three levels of reflection Pre-reflective stages (superficial

engagement) are: Description, “mulling over”, unjustified

conclusions. Student teachers highlight: power

relationships in their reflection

Contribution to knowledge

Use of narrative to promote pre-reflective stages

Importance of the mentor in power role ALSs encourage oral reflection (but may

prevent ‘distance’) due to university based work with a peer group

Contribution to practice

Apprenticeship model of teacher training will take student teachers away from their peer group, therefore CPD will become even more important

Written reflection (or oral reflection with NQTs or other students in the same school) may be the only way to reflect (but unsuccessful in this project)

Concerns

Boud, D. (2010) ‘relocating reflection in the context of practice’ in H.Bradbury, N.Frost, S.Kilminster and M.Zukas (Eds) Beyond Reflective Practice, London: Routledge; pp 25 – 36

Clandinin, D. & Connelly, F (1988) in: Cortazzi, M. (1993) Narrative Analysis. Social Research and Educational Studies Series. London: Falmer Press.

Dewey, J. (1933) How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective Thinking to the Educative process. Lexington Heath and Co.

Dewey, J. (1955) Experience and Education. New York: The Macmillan Co.

Ghaye,A. and Ghaye, K. (1998) Teaching and Learning through Critical Reflective Practice. Oxon: Fulton Pub.

Moon, J. (2005) Learning Journals. London: Routledge / Falmer. Moon, J. (2008) Critical Thinking. An Exploration of Theory and

Practice. Abingdon, New York: Routledge. Moon, J. (2010) Reflection in Learning & professional Development.

London & New York: RoutledgeFalmer.

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