An Exploration of the Content and Nature of Reflective Practices of Graduate Teaching Fellows in a School

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 8 Issue 6 (2003) pp 404-412

An Exploration of the Content and Nature of Reflective Practices of Graduate Teaching Fellows in a School–University Partnership Project

Frackson Mumba,^† Vivien M. Chabalengula,^† Cynthia J. Moore,^‡ Jennifer Grogg,^‡ Michael Plantholt,^§ Carol Thornton,^§ and William J. F. Hunter^†,*

Department of Chemistry,^† Department of Biological Sciences,^‡ and Department of Mathematics,^§ Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, 61790-4160, whunter@ilstu.edu
Received January 24, 2003. Accepted June 19, 2003.

Published online: 18 October 2003

Abstract. This study explored the content and nature of reflective practices of the chemistry, biology, and mathematics graduate teaching fellows in a school–university partnership project. Data were collected using reflective journals, lesson observations, and semistructured interviews. The study established both reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action practices. As might be expected, some graduate teaching fellows were more explicit than others in their reflections. The graduate teaching fellows without prior high school teaching experience had more reflective statements than those with high school teaching experience. The biology graduate fellows had the most reflective statements whereas chemistry graduate fellows had the least reflective statements. Overall, the content and nature of the reflections were found to be descriptive, critical, and dialogical. Both critical and dialogical reflections were technocratic-oriented reflections. The results have some implications for the training of chemistry teaching assistants, high school chemistry teachers, and the teaching of chemistry.

Key Words: Research in Teaching and Learning;

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: whunter@ilstu.edu)

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Supporting Materials:

Interview questions for graduate fellows and the reflective journal guide and videotape reflection guide are available in a Zip file (74 KB) 10.1333/s00897030739a