The Quality of Reflection in Student Teachers’ Professional Learning

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Abstract
Recent policy and practice in teacher education has emphasised the importance of reflection in the process of learning to teach. In this study a group of 10 student primary teachers were followed through the field experience of their one‐year postgraduate training course to explore the quality of reflection in which they engaged. What kinds of conceptions of teaching and learning to teach did the students possess? How did they reflect upon and evaluate their own practice? What was the role of college tutor and supervising teacher in promoting reflection? These questions were pursued using a series of semi‐structured interviews. Although students were found to differ in how they conceptualised and reflected on their own practice, it was found that they typically progressed through 3 stages: fitting‐in, passing the test, and exploring. Students’ professional learning, however, seemed quickly to reach a plateau, and in all stages, a number of factors were identified that heavily constrained the quality of student teachers’ reflection. These have implications for the design and assessment of pre‐service education courses.

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