Identifying Evidence of Reflective Ability in Preservice Teacher Electronic Portfolios

Source: Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, Volume 19, Issue 2, April 2011, 209-237.
 

Results of this study identified evidence markers that characterize reflection in preservice teacher electronic portfolios.
Examples of such markers include openness to self-learning, willingness to self-critique, analytical detail of reflections, and taking responsibility for pupil learning challenges.

The author describes how the school of education faculty members identified these markers.
While reviewing student teachers' electronic portfolios, the school of education faculty members verbalized judgments that they were making about the portfolio author’s reflective ability and cited the portfolio evidence that supported those judgments.
Analysis of session transcripts identified some three-dozen evidence markers.

Using these markers, a rubric was developed for assessing student teacher reflective ability based on evaluating his or her electronic portfolio.

The author argues that being able to explicitly recognize and characterize the evidence which identifies reflection should assist instructors in teaching the skills of reflection and in making better use of electronic portfolios for promoting reflection among preservice teachers.