Using Critical Reflection in Teacher Preparation Programs as Windows and Mirrors

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring How Portfolios and Diverse Approaches to Reflection Impact Teacher Professional Growth

Abstract

The demographics of school aged students in the U.S continue to shift, and most students come from historically underrepresented minority populations. Yet the percentage of white, female teachers remains disproportionately high. It is the responsibility of teacher education programs to prepare these future educators for classrooms in which their students do not share similar ethnicities, cultures or experiences. Using semi structured interviews and vignettes in a qualitative research design, this paper examines the beliefs of interns who have just graduated from a teacher preparation program. This study explores how a program focused on critical reflection impacts the beliefs of graduating interns, and suggests that an intersection between personal disposition and programmatic experiences lead to a stronger belief in critical reflection.

Author

• Emily Koerner Christopher, Fairfax County Public Schools