Promoting reflective practice in initial teacher training

ISSN： 0951-354X

Source： The International Journal of Educational Management, Vol.9, Iss.5, 1995-05, pp. : 20-26

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Abstract

Sets out to examine five school-based initial teacher training schemes and to assess the most successful aspects of each. Aims in particular to investigate the ways in which student teachers are encouraged and assisted systematically to reflect on their practice. All those interviewed (student teachers, mentors and university tutors) recognized reflection as a crucial component of the mentoring process for structuring the analysis of teaching, but considered it a complex and challenging activity. Mentors lacked confidence in their ability to analyse and make explicit their implicit theories of teaching. Furthermore, they were inhibited by a lack of training, the time available and by the absence of a collaborative and supportive working environment. Learning to teach undoubtedly involves the mastery of reflective practice in which teaching performance is developed simultaneously with thinking about teaching.