Problem Solving and Critical Inquiry in the Written and Oral Reflections of Middle School Preservice Teachers' Classroom Experiences.

IntroductionPreparing teachers for critical and reflective teaching in public school education is necessary in a political and cultural climate that reinforces that teachers must prepare students to pass state tests based on statemandated learning goals. Teacher reflection, as both practice and theory, has been suggested as a way to empower teachers to think critically (Schon, 1990). Research has focused on the "processes of teacher reflection and the relationships between these thinking processes and teacher development" (Zeichner, 1995, p. 16). There is issue, however, in the ambiguity of what constitutes reflective thinking and how it can be assessed as being beneficial or even effectively incorporated (Ash & Clayton, 2004). Yet, if effectively implemented, in teacher preparation reflection may help preservice teachers understand and apply their own epistemologies, increasing or enhancing higher empathetic and critical reasoning (Langone, 2008). Also, if preservice teachers are able to gather valuable insight about their practices from reflection, their future students will benefit, especially if these teachers model such reflective and metacognitive skills to them.Research exploring reflection as a method for preparing student teachers is limited in terms of the effectiveness and role reflection plays in student development. Variance in the length of time or scope of reflective practice that exists in preservice programs poses questions in terms of what truly determines reflective thinking and what is the best form to elucidate the kind of cognition desired (Ash & Clayton, 2004). For many educators, the use of meaningful reflective practice is indiscriminate with little to no effective assessment of its effectiveness (Isikoglu, 2007). A deeper understanding of these issues, as well as those discussed later in this article, may help researchers and teacher educators ascertain the limitations and benefits of reflective practices (Campbell-Evans & Maloney, 1998). The goal was to determine the effectiveness of reflective exercises for preservice teachers within an apprenticeship component of a middle grades education program.RationaleThe purpose of this action research study was to investigate undergraduate preservice studentteachers' interpretations of written reflections and how these written reflections impacted their thoughts about teaching practices. A second question was to investigate how preservice teachers talked about their processes of reflection beyond the assigned written reflections. The oral reflections emerged from class discussions concerning student perceptions, both before and after the students' field experiences. We then compared written reflections with reflections communicated through oral classroom discussions.Research questions:1. How do the preservice teachers interpret purposes of written reflections?2. How do the preservice teachers' written reflections illustrate their understanding of theory and practice?3. How do the preservice teachers' communicate their understanding of theory and practice through classroom discussions of previous reflections and experiences?The educational purpose of written reflections for preservice teachers was to create a bridge between theory and practice (Bannink & van Dam, 2007). In the field of teacher preparation, preservice teachers' perceptions of how they used these reflections, or will use these reflections for future teaching, have not been researched in detail. How students practically apply oral and written reflections to their plans for improving teaching methods can help researchers and teacher educators determine the kinds of reflections that are most useful for preservice teachers (Zeichner, 1995).Theoretical FrameworkReflections about teaching practices and theories can be an effective means for preservice teachers to evaluate their instructional results with students. …