The Emotional Content and Value of Critical Narratives: A Study of Preservice Teachers

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Emotions, Beliefs, and Dispositions: Making Sense of Complicated Constructs

Abstract

This study of preservice educators offers unique insights into the potential role of narrative writing as a tool for understanding and valuing teacher knowledge and emotions in teacher education programs. Participants engaged in “critical narratives of fieldwork” to connect issues of identity and emotion to pedagogy and curricular choices. Findings indicated that, when compared with traditional lesson plan reflections, critical narratives provided much richer data on the emotional experiences of preservice teachers in three distinct ways: reflection focus, type of emotion, and degree of complexity/nuance. Implications indicate potential to utilize critical narratives as a way to reframe practice, as well as to understand and assess the practice of teaching in a more comprehensive way to produce successful, lifelong educators.

Authors

• Emma T. Abruzzo, University of Pittsburgh

• Katrina Emily Bartow Jacobs, University of Pittsburgh