THE IMPORTANCE OF GUIDING QUESTIONS IN REFLECTIVE JOURNALING

Abstract

A study of student teachers' experiences of the journal writing was carried out. Participants were the 15 student teachers enrolled into the EDUC 420 - Practice Teaching course. The aim of the study was to examine student teachers' experiences of journal writing based on their perceptions and views to develop insights into reflection and reflective practice. A qualitative paradigm was used wherein an interpretive methodology was adopted. Semi-structured interviews and end-of-the-semester reflection essays were used as data collection methods. Content analysis method was used to analyse the qualitative data. Student teachers indicated that journal writing created awareness of the self as a teacher in terms of weaknesses and the strengths; however, they also reported on the lack of depth, diversity and perspective in guidelines provided in the journals and reports. In most of the perceptions, the role and lack of the focus and guiding questions were underlined.