Analysing and Evaluating Preservice and Novice Teachers' Reflective Dialogues on Teaching in a Virtual Learning Environment

• In Event: Teaching Quality, Teacher-Student Interactions, and Reflections-in-Action: Evidence From Different Educational Sectors in China

Abstract

Objectives
This study aimed to examine and evaluate the sources of influences on pre-service and novice teachers’ reflections by analyzing their professional online discussions with overseas peers. We assumed most of these teachers would draw on either their acquired knowledge in teacher education or teaching experience, rather than experience as students.

Theoretical framework
Reflection is defined as “deliberate thinking about action with a view to its improvement” (Hatton & Smith, 1995, p.40). Reflection is a valued emphasis in the current field experience requirements of teacher education programmes because pre-service teachers are expected to develop the “ability to facilitate learning and talk meaningfully about their practice” (Tyrrell et al., 2013, p.15). Reflection can also be an effective way for novice teachers to enhance their teaching quality and professional development. There is a consensus that reflection has a positive influence on teachers’ professional development (Braun & Crumpler, 2004; Yin, 2014). However, empirical studies on analyzing and evaluating reflections of pre-service and novice teachers are still limited except Alger (2006), Gelfuso and Dennis (2014), McDuffie (2004), Smith and Lev‐Ari (2005), and Stoughton (2007).

Methods
Qualitative research method was employed to analyze pre-service and novice teachers’ reflections on teaching through their online discussions. Fourteen group interviews were conducted on four topics related to teaching: lesson planning, student engagement, formative assessment and feedback to students, and areas for pedagogical improvements (Ko & Maulana, 2017). By using qualitative dialogue analysis (Hennessy et al., 2015) to develop an in-depth understanding of the participants’ reflections in each topic classified by two trained raters into four categories: context of the responses, sources of experiences, discussion turn, and attitude (see Table 1); and Tables 2-4 shows the excerpts of three topics with some typical examples of reflective dialogues.

Data sources
A total number of eight participants from five countries/areas (Hong Kong/ Mainland China, Uganda, the Netherlands, and South Africa) were recruited in this study. The interviews were conducted in the online chatrooms by using Adobe Connect (Figure 1). The interview transcriptions were coded and analyzed according to the four categories.

Results and conclusions
The study showed that the participants were aware of using various teaching strategies and pedagogy to meet different situations by linking their experience in teaching. The results indicated that reflection is likely a cyclic process: pre-service and novice teachers gain new insights by putting the acquired knowledge into practice, reconstruct their knowledge and experience by testing the new perspectives, and then cycle the process with leveled up agency and self-efficacy (Figure 2). Future studies will employ quantitative analysis to explore the role of reflections in the professional growth of pre-service and novice teachers.

Significance
By analyzing the reflective dialogues on teaching among overseas pre-service and novice teachers, this study provides a new understanding of different influences in perceptions of teaching practices in their reflections. Our findings suggest raising the awareness of pre-service and novice teachers by engaging them in regular activities that require reflections, such as dialogues or chats with peers is conducive to their professional growth.

Authors

• Ye Wang, The Education University of Hong Kong

• Celia Jieyan Lei, The Education University of Hong Kong

• Yasmin Fong, The Education University of Hong Kong