Private blog reflections connecting course content with field experiences: preservice teachers grapple with teacher identity

ABSTRACT

A challenge experienced within teacher preparation programs is the ability to help preservice teachers connect educational theory with teaching practice. Guided by Dewey's phases of reflective thinking and Schön’s reflection on action as an ethic for inquiry, we embedded a systematic reflection of written responses, recorded in a private weblog over the course of a 15-week intermediate reading methods course. Inductive thematic analysis of responses revealed the following themes: visceral thought, vulnerability, interpretation of course content, and identity formation toward becoming a classroom teacher. Our findings exemplify how systematic reflection in a private digital space contributed to the development of preservice teachers’ professional identities.

KEYWORDS:

• Reflective practice
• reflection
• teacher preparation
• professional identities
• blog

Highlights

• A private blog is used to capture preservice teachers’ reflective responses.

• Systematic reflective practice contributes to the development of professional teachers and teacher identity formation.

• Actualization of teacher identity results from recursive thinking between four reflective response levels.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lauren Eutsler

Lauren Eutsler, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration at the University of North Texas, where she began in 2016. She earned her doctorate in 2016 from the University of Florida. Her research focuses on using inquiry and reflection to support children’s digital literacy development and training preservice teachers to effectively use digital tools to motivate, enhance, and improve literacy learning.

Rachelle Curcio

Rachelle Curcio, PhD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor for Elementary Education at the University of South Carolina. Her research interests and areas of expertise are grounded in an inquiry stance and focus on preparing teacher candidates for diverse 21st century classrooms. Her research and expertise address the supervision of clinical experiences, mentoring and coaching, the cultivation of a critical reflective stance, teacher leadership, and teacher preparation for social justice.