Understanding Teacher Learning During Online and Face-to-Face Professional Development Through Reflections and Portfolio Evidence

• In Event: 49.074 - Teacher Learning Through Reflection: Strategies and Capacity

Abstract

The study examined reflections contained in the program portfolios of 27 teachers written during advanced Master’s coursework. Coursework was offered to teachers in parallel online and face-to-face cohorts. Our overarching question guiding our study is: How do teachers learn and perform in each of the course delivery tracks as related to the growth of their reflective practice? Using Taggart and Wilson's Levels of Reflection (2005) as a guide, several trends in teachers' reflective capacity emerged from the sets of program reflections with fluctuations in levels exhibiting across reflection points. The most surprising finding was that there were no discernible differences in the content or focus of their reflections between online and face-to-face participants.

Authors

• Rebecca K. Fox, George Mason University

• Stephanie L. Dodman, George Mason University

• Nancy Holincheck, George Mason University

• Sydney A. Merz, George Mason University