Interruptions: Reflecting-in-Action in Preservice Math Methods Courses

ABSTRACT

This article responds to what seems a nearly ubiquitous call for teachers to be reflective practitioners. Despite near consensus that self-reflection benefits the classroom teacher, teachers struggle to apply this work to daily life in the classroom. Specifically, using Donald Schön’s terminology, we find that successful teachers must reflect-in-action. We build on research that self-reflection must be built into preservice education and applied directly to courses that involve methods. Drawing on a qualitative study of two math methods courses for preservice teachers, we argue that a method of teacher development we have named “interruptions” helps to promote reflection-in-action.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. All other proper names used in this data are pseudonyms.

2. As the majority of students surveyed identity with feminine pronouns, we have used them to modify survey comments.