More about strategies to improve the quality of joint reflection based on the theory-practice relationship during practicum seminars

ABSTRACT

The present study focuses on students’ reflection during practicum seminars. The practicum is the ideal setting for reflection. Three levels of reflection have been identified. The second and third, which address the theory-practice relationship, guarantee quality in reflection. This relationship has been researched through participation patterns and tutor assistance. In this paper, we try to clarify which strategies elicit a higher quality of joint reflection. To this end, a case study was performed in the context of the Practicum III course (30 ECTS credits), taken in the fourth and final year of a bachelor’s degree program in Primary Education. 2 tutors and 10 student teachers (all women) participated in the study. The student teachers jointly analyzed several real situations that occurred during their practicum. The seminars were recorded, transcribed and coded for subsequent interactivity and content analysis. Five situations were analyzed. At the second level of reflection, the theory-practice relationship emerged during the interpretative pattern when the tutor gave assistance that facilitated a theoretical framework and academic knowledge to the student teachers, who were attempting to understand and/or solve the dilemmas of the situation under consideration. These interactions were able to mitigate the power of the ‘apprenticeship of observation’.

KEYWORDS:

• Joint reflection
• theory-practice relationship
• participation patterns
• tutor assistance
• apprenticeship of observation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Spanish “Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad” [grant EDU2013-44632-P].

Notes on contributors

Elena López-de-Arana Prado

Elena López-de-Arana Prado, PhD in "Humanities and education in the organizations of the future", doctoral program of Mondragón University’s Humanities and Education Sciences Faculty. At this moment, she belongs to the Basque Country University’s Didactics and School Organization Department since october 2014. She had previously taught and researched in Mondragón University, in which she belonged to the research project called Hazitegi participating in different projects: "Children and care: a comparison across The Netherlands and The Basque Country" (2006-2009), "Programme to promote the social and emotional children development" (2009-2011), "Outdoor space as a resource to enrich children's learning" (2012-2014), "Conduct of exploration, wellbeing and care in early childhood education" (2014-2015), "Assistance for the construction of knowledge during student teacher practicum" (2014-2017). When it comes to educational innovation projects, in the same University, Mondragón University, she has been involved in the following proyects: "Mendeberri" (2005-2009) and "Innovation project for adaptation to the European framework" (2008-2013). Now, being a member of IkHezi Ikerketa Hezitzailea, Basque Country University’s research team, she participates in the project "Detection needs to build the Educational Project of the Vitoria-Gasteiz’s child care centers" (2017), and she has led the following projects: "Proposal to develop dissertations through service-learning to improve Early Childhood Education Degrees’s skills" (2016-2017), and “Transforming realities: University and Community cooperating in order to humanize education through service-learning in the End Grade Works (EGW)” (2018-2019). Finally, mention that she works as a counsultant in different educational centers.

Agurtzane Martínez Gorrotxategi

Agurtzane Martínez Gorrotxategi, Graduated in Pedagogy and Educational Sciences (Special Education) (1984-1989) by the University of the Basque Country. PhD in “Applied Pedagogy”, doctoral program of the University of Basque Country (2013). At this moment and since 2001, she belongs to the Faculty of Humanities and Education of Mondragon University. She participates in a research group called BETA like group´s coordinator. This group concentrates its research on teaching and methodology innovation linked to the paradigm shift in education. Since 2003 (and after restructuring in 2009) the group’s aim has been to research everything related to the development of basic skills and has concentrated especially on explaining, organising and improving teaching-learning processes like these: "From the transmission of knowledge to the facilitation of learning. Process of reflection-formation on the change of roles” (2004-06), “A proposal of intervention for the development of the competence to learn to learn” (2010-11) “IKASARE: An integrative model based on cooperation and networking to learning” (2012-15), "The tutor´s assistance to the construction of knowledge during the practicum of teacher training: the joint reflection on school situations to improve the relationship between theory and practice” (2014-present) directed by Ph. Teresa Mauri and financed by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain. She also performs academic management functions within the Faculty, being coordinator of Master’s Degree in Development and Management of Methodological Didactic Innovation Projects in educational institutions (Berrimet) of the University of Mondragon. She has different publications in the area of educational innovation in Higher Education.

Nerea Agirre García

Nerea Agirre García, Graduated in Pedagogy (2000/2004) by the University of the Basque Country, holder of the Diploma of Advanced Studies after completing the Doctorate in Psychopedagogical Intervention Program of the Public University of the Basque Country (2005/2007). Currently a teacher and researcher of the University of Mondragon, Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences, and PhD student of the "PhD Program in Educational Innovation and Intervention (Mondragon Unibertsitatea-UVIC)" in the research line "Innovation and intervention in Inclusive Education". She belongs to the research group called BETA and she had participated in R + D + I projects since 2005: "The professional context of social educators in the field of unprotected children: current situation and proposals" (2005/2009) funded by the University of the Basque Country; "Creanova" (2008-2011) funded by EACEA (Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency, Lifelong Program), four projects funded by the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, "Educating Peoples and Cities in Guipúzcoa: Analysis of cohesion scenarios and proposal lines "(2011/2012),"Inclusive town and cities: community participation as key to quality education "(2012/2013)," Projects based on school-community collaboration: steps and strategies for Influence the educational quality"(2013/2014) and "Creation, implementation and evaluation of processes for the development of staff competences for the school's learning and culture (Cultural Network)"(2014/2015). Currently, she participates as researcher in the competitive project "The tutor´s assistance to the construction of knowledge during the practicum of teacher training: the joint reflection on school situations to improve the relationship between theory and practice” directed by Ph. Teresa Mauri and financed by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain. Finally, it must be mentioned that in addition to the research development teaching tasks in the Primary Education Degree, and since the academic year 2014/2015 she also performs academic management functions within the Faculty, being the coordinator of Curricular Practices of all courses in the Degrees Early Childhood Education and Primary Education.

Mariam Bilbatua Pérez

Mariam Bilbatua Pérez, Graduated in Political Sciences by Complutense University of Madrid (1974) and in Philosophy and Education Sciences by National University of Distance Education (1991). PhD in Philosophy and Educational Sciences by the University of the Basque Country. She has belonged to the Mondragon University’s Humanities and Education Sciences Faculty and to BETA research group participating in different projects: "From the transmission of knowledge to the facilitation of learning. Process of reflection-formation on the change of roles” (2004-06), “A proposal of intervention for the development of the competence to learn to learn” (2010-11) “IKASARE: An integrative model based on cooperation and networking to learning” (2012-15). At the moment she is retired but she is still participating in the project "The tutor´s assistance to the construction of knowledge during the practicum of teacher training: the joint reflection on school situations to improve the relationship between theory and practice” (2014-present). She has different publications in the area of educational innovation in Higher Education and on acquisition of second languages and reading-writing in primary education.