Portraying reflection: the contents of student teachers’ reflection on personal practical theories and practicum experience*

This research focused on personal practical theories of Finnish student teachers, on how they argued for them and what they contained, and the data were analysed using Korthagen’s ‘onion’ model of reflection (e.g. 2004). The framework of this research consists of reflection and personal practical theories (PPTs). Personal practical theories are viewed as important for a teacher’s identity: they guide the teacher’s work, action, and reactions before, during, and after a teaching event. Reflecting on teaching, then again, has been one of the most significant issues and focus of numerous studies for several decades. This is a case study of six elementary school student teachers, who had constructed their PPTs before the practicum. We examined their reflections using the onion model of reflection, according to which a person reflects on different levels. The data were collected by interviewing the student teachers after their final practicum. The results show that most of their reflection focused on Environment and Behaviour, so it was located mostly in the outer layers of the onion model. The categorization of the reflection also showed that Competence was the smallest category.     

From understanding to insight: using reflexivity to promote students’ learning of qualitative research

Reflexivity is qualitative researchers’ thoughtful and self-aware examination of the intersubjective dynamics between themselves and study participants, evoking insightful understanding of others. Novice qualitative researchers need to acquire reflexive skills for their professional development. In this article, we examine reflexivity among Israeli students on a qualitative research course. We conducted thematic content analysis of the data gathered from the students’ written reflexive journals. Reflexivity was demonstrated by three dimensions in each stage of the students’ experience of learning qualitative research: (1) ‘I as a person’, relating to students’ critical personal perspective; (2) ‘I as a researcher’, referring to the students’ insights about their evolving competencies as researchers; and (3) ‘I as an individual in a sociocultural context’, stressing students’ awareness of their values, beliefs and norms. These findings are discussed, highlighting four key concepts in qualitative research: Taken-for-Granted Expectations; Experience of Discovery; Resonance, and Meaning Making and Insights.