The winding road of student teaching: addressing uncertainty with core reflection

ABSTRACT

The period of student teaching often creates crisis experiences in student teachers and can have various negative effects, but it also offers opportunities for deep learning. This study focused on the types of struggles student teachers encounter and on the effects of coaching aimed at the promotion of core reflection. Core reflection is an approach focusing on the tension between people’s inner strengths and their inner obstacles, as a way to support growth. While previous research suggested that teachers were able to improve their classroom performance due in part to core reflection’s influence, no study before this one has directly explored how core reflection addressed uncertainty experienced by student teachers. Additionally, this study indicates core reflection may aid student teachers with finding a personal, authentic way of teaching – a process one may call a Hero’s Journey.

KEYWORDS:

• Student teachers
• uncertainty
• core reflection
• coaching
• hero’s journey

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Thomas D. Browning

Thomas D. Browning is an assistant professor of Educational Foundations and Leadership at Wayne State College. Prior to teaching at WSC, he was a high school science teacher. His academic interests include equity literacy and reflection.

Fred A.J. Korthagen

Fred A.J. Korthagen is a professor emeritus of Utrecht University. His academic fields are the professional development of teachers and teacher educators, and the pedagogy of teacher education. In 2015, he became a Fellow of AERA, ‘to honour excellence in research’.