Journal Reflexive, an Instrument for Student Preparation in the Teaching Profession

AbstractOur study is a part of a more ample research that aims to improve the practice activity of students who are preparing to become teachers in mandatory education. This paper develops some observations made after teaching practice activities, performed by students on the third year who are preparing to become teachers. We started from the premise that the reflexive journal can be a tool to evaluate the activity of these students. The reflexive journal was completed by students during on the three months of pedagogical practice. In this journal the students have passed pedagogical experiences, feelings, opinions, knowledge and skills obtained in the schools of application. The reflexive journal has become a dialogue of student carried with himself in learning about their own mental processes. The centralization of data collected has demonstrated that the students were interested in following problems: expressing feelings concerning to teaching in general; specifying efforts individuals lodged for self-regulation of learning (by examining the attitudes of dedication and attention focused towards overcoming a learning task); mentioning how to do controlling the actions performed to accomplish learning tasks (by analyzing planning, methodological demarches solving the task and results); expressing how to do controlling the knowledge obtained (by analysis of similar notions, the shortcomings registered and their causes);Of course, were students who did not complete journal with seriousness and responsibility. The cause may be the lack of usual of students to reflect on their work. Therefore, the main condition of success is the presentation of importance journal to their professional training, especially the habit of students to regularly reflecting in writing on their work. Our conclusions recommend the using of this tool, as a means of stimulating interest in the teaching profession, also as a way for individual training in this profession. We recommend the reflexive journal as a complementary method of evaluation