Introspective Inquiry: Self-Study and Its Relevance in Teacher Education

As teachers inevitably model their teaching on their ownexperiences, those who educate teachers must remainconscious of their own actions in the classroom, lestunwelcome behaviors or ineffective methods resurfacein their students’ future teaching. Therefore, self-studyof one’s professional practice is an invaluable tool forevaluating efficacy in the classroom. This study evaluatedthe teaching practices of Professor Melanie Shoffner(English education) in ENGL 49200, an undergraduatemethods course. The study examined the specificmethods, strategies, and interactions Shoffner uses in herteaching in order to consider how her instruction does—or does not—support the development of her students.Data for the study consisted of my observational notesfrom multiple classes and my review of literature on selfstudyand relational teaching. During each observation, Iused an observational framework of my own design thatrecorded students’ participation and determined the levelof their engagement in classroom discussion, in additionto noting specific interactions between student andinstructor. By analyzing repetitions and common themesfrom my observations, spanning an entire semester, Iconcluded that student engagement in the classroom wasdependent on a variety of classroom activities, such asdiscussion, group work, and lectures. In addition, I foundthat students’ willingness to participate hinged on theprofessor’s use of positive reinforcement, communicatedthrough facial and verbal interaction. These findingssuggest that professors must be conscious of theirchoices in the classroom: seemingly insignificant acts ofinstruction and interaction can greatly influence students’development as future teachers