Towards Meaningful Reflection and a Holistic Approach: Creating a Reflection Framework in Teacher Education

ABSTRACT

This study aims to find out how student teachers’ meaning-oriented reflection can be enhanced with the help of video in a primary school teacher education programme. The study shows how student teachers (n = 10) and their supervisors (n = 9) followed the video-enhanced reflection procedure during one practicum period. The data were collected through focus group or individual interviews and audio recordings of supervisory discussions. Content and phenomenographic analysis were conducted. The results indicated that the reflection procedure was beneficial for the student teachers in their self- and peer reflection and in the supervisory process. Some supervisors lacked the necessary theoretical tools, and the student teachers did not reach the appropriate level of critical reflection in their discussions. The results suggest that to support deeper reflection, it is important to pay attention to the characteristics of the reflection procedures and the theoretical basis of supervision.

KEYWORDS:

• Video-elicited reflection
• teacher education
• reflective practice
• holistic approach

Acknowledgements

I express special thanks to Suvi Lakkala and Markus Pyhäjärvi for their valuable comments and feedback during the writing process. I am also grateful to Outi Kyrö-Ämmälä for her help and comments concerning the illustration of the reflection framework.

Disclosure statement

The author reports no potential conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the European Commission under [grant number 2015-1-UK01-KA201-013414].