Guided Critical Reflection: Moving Beyond “What Do You Know?” to “Why Do You Know It?”

• In Event: Studying Teacher Knowledge: Innovations in Methodology

Abstract

This practitioner inquiry explores the use of Guided Critical Reflection (GCR) in preparing preservice teachers for English learners (ELs). Building on previous reflection research, I define GCR as a process in which I guide preservice teachers to acknowledge and examine their common sense, reframe what they know in light of course learning, and transform their understandings. I documented and analyzed the ways students used GCR to transform their passively held understandings about ELs. Data sources included observations, artifacts, and a reflection journal. Findings indicate preservice teachers’ common sense notions about ELs were rooted in their experiences and although students felt comfortable sharing what they knew about ELs, they needed to be scaffolded to examine how their experiences shaped those understandings.

Author

• Amy M. Markos, Arizona State University - Tempe