ERIC Number: EJ1087961
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2331-186X
EISSN: N/A
Pre-Service Teachers' Blog Reflections: Illuminating Their Growth and Development
Garza, Rubén; Smith, Shaunna F.
Cogent Education, v2 n1 Article 1066550 2015
Blogging, a mode of electronic journaling, has been identified as an effective means to help pre-service teachers to construct meaning about their experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teachers' reflections about their praxis through blogging and to describe the nature of their growth and development. The use of reflective writing through blogging helped to identify three themes that emerged from the data: (1) validation, (2) prescriptive, and (3) self-assessment. Our findings suggest that blogging facilitated a community of learners that provided support and encouragement. Pre-service teachers' reflections revealed a focus on the mechanistic aspects of teaching without critically examining the nature of what was observed. However, our findings also suggest that structuring reflective thinking through blogging has the potential to foster a nascent understanding about teaching and learning.
Descriptors: Preservice Teachers, Electronic Journals, Student Journals, Student Teacher Attitudes, Reflection, Reflective Teaching, Praxis, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Communities of Practice, Social Support Groups, Qualitative Research, Comparative Analysis, Undergraduate Students, Peer Evaluation, Educational Practices
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A