Informal reflection in pre-service teacher education

摘要

Although numerous benefits to teaching and learning are associated with reflective practice, reflection is not a common professional behavior among practicing teachers, despite the flexibility of approach and application. Teacher educators continue to explore meaningful options when engaging pre-service teachers in reflective thinking. The author, also a teacher educator, presents informal reflection as one such option. Informal reflection is grounded in the conceptualization of reflection articulated in the seminal works of Dewey and Schn and rests on the elements of practical theory, flexible structure, communal interaction and personal expression. Drawing from a 2004-2005 qualitative research study on weblogs in pre-service teacher reflective practice, the author situates the elements of informal reflection in both theory and practice, presenting informal reflection as one approach to assist in the formation of reflective practitioners.