Reflective Practice: Epistemological Experiences of Social Studies Student Teachers

• In Event: Roundtable Session 7
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Teacher Development and Professional Identity: Epistemological, Emotional, and Cultural Dimensions of Practice

Proposal

Reflective practice has emerged as an indispensable tool in teacher education, enabling prospective teachers to critically interrogate their pedagogical choices, professional identities, and epistemological orientations. This study, titled Reflective Practice: Epistemological Experiences of Social Studies Student Teachers, seeks to explore how student teachers at the University of Education, Winneba, conceptualise, experience, and employ reflective practice during their teaching practicum. Anchored in the interpretivist paradigm and employing a phenomenological design, the study will purposively select 15–20 final-year Social Studies student teachers engaged in practicum. Data will be collected through reflective journals, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. Thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke’s six-step approach, will be used to uncover patterns and meanings in participants’ reflections. To ensure trustworthiness, strategies such as triangulation, member checking, and reflexivity will be applied. Ethical considerations, including informed consent, confidentiality, and voluntary participation, will also be observed. The findings are expected to illuminate the epistemological dimensions of reflective practice, highlighting how student teachers construct, validate, and question knowledge within their professional contexts. The study will contribute to scholarship in Social Studies education and teacher preparation, providing insights for curriculum developers, educators, and policymakers seeking to nurture reflective and epistemologically grounded teaching professionals.

Author

• Vida Amankwaah Kumah, University of Education, Winneba