Characteristics of Reflective Thought During the Student Teaching Experience

Teacher reflectivity is a prominent issue among those educating novice teachers. Dewey (1933) believed reflective thinking is thought that requires turning an idea over in the mind and giving it serious consideration. Reflection commences when one inquires into his or her experience and relevant knowledge to find meaning in his or her beliefs. It has the potential to enable teachers to direct their activities with foresight and to plan according to ends-in-view (Dewey, 1933, p. 17). Preservice teachers begin to construct a reality about teaching in the student teaching experience. They learn to access their personal beliefs through the important questions and answers needed for assimilating their role as teacher and the characteristics contributing to the effectiveness of a teacher. Reflection during these experiences allows for discovery and synthesis of understanding into a personal worldview (Canning, 1991). Philosophers suggest that individual orientations direct personal construction of reality. Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule (1986) indicate that these orientations evolve out of personal ways of knowing. Each woman brings her own way of perceiving to observation and experience, dramatically influencing personal reflective dispositions that inevitably affect the nature of the decisions made and the actions taken. In this article, I report qualitative research addressing the reflective character of novice teachers during student teaching. I include a brief review of related research, a description of methodology, a narrative summary of case study findings, and conclusions. Review of Research Researchers have been examining the development of reflectivity in novice teachers since the 1970s. Some studies suggest that novice teachers can reflect and be helped to learn the value of reflection in teaching and learning (Pultorak, 1993, 1996; Rudney & Guillaume, 1990; Wildman & Niles, 1987). Specific methods for encouraging reflective practice among novice teachers include reflective journals (Colton & Sparks-Langer, 1993; Zeichner, 1983), reflective interviews (Trumball & Slack, 1991), peer observation conferences (Zeichner & Liston, 1985), and group seminars (Koskela, 1985; Rudney & Guillaume, 1990). Other studies note that some novice teachers do not value reflection in teaching (Flickinger & Ruddy, 1992; Sebran, 1989) thereby making it difficult for teacher educators to facilitate its development. A number of different ways of operationalizing reflective practice have been suggested. Without an understanding of the many different conceptualizations of reflective practice, however, much current research has no pertinent context. The frameworks that follow are especially pertinent to the examination and classification of reflections typical to the four case studies in this study. There are different types of knowing. Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule (1986) propose a model that includes five levels of knowing in women. They suggest that while some women believe they have no voice, others listen to their own voice and integrate it with the voices of those around them and the voice of reason. Their model of women's ways of knowing informs those working with a typically female teacher preparation population to better interpret and facilitate reflective dispositions. Kitchener (1986) describes seven stages of reflective judgment in college students. His research suggests a continuum of reflective development. In the beginning stages, individuals view knowledge as certain, absolute, and learned either from authorities or through direct observation. As individuals develop, they accept knowledge as uncertain, relative, and personally constructed. In later stages, they integrate knowledge. Schon (1983, 1990) and Surbeck, Han, and Moyer (1991) indicate that reflection develops in a heirarchical manner. …