Integrating centre-based and school-based learning through a reflective journal for postgraduate student teachers

Building on findings first presented at TEAN 2022, this research reports on ongoing action research into the impact of a reflective journal as a tool that aims to strengthen the links student teachers make between centre-based learning and school-based learning (Lunenberg & Korthagen, 2009; Stenberg, Rajala & Hilppo (2016). This research has been designed to understand the differences in the way that students, tutors and school mentors view the purpose and value of the journal. It utilises group interviews and questionnaire data to co-construct and triangulate differences in the perceptions of the journal. The initial cycle of literature review, data generation and analysis led to the creation of five themes: The role of reflection in programmes, Differing depths of reflection (Korthagen 2011), Types of approaches adopted by students (Tang et al, 2019; McGarr, O’Grady and Guilfoyle, 2017), the development of a reflective practitioner identity (Boyd 2022) and the transfer of learning between settings (Lunenberg & Korthagen, 2009). It also identified implications for subsequent cycles. These themes will be presented and discussed in relation to the themes that had been anticipated at the outset of the research project. This presentation will provide an overview of developments implemented in response to the analysis of data from the first cycle. It will also present a summary of the findings of data generated with the current cohort of students and their mentors and will compare the impact that developments have had on the respective stakeholders’ perceptions of the journal. It is hoped that teacher educators with an interest in curriculum integration between centre-based and school-based learning will find this research relevant. Key references: Boyd, P., (2022) ‘Learning Teaching’ in school. Chapter In Cooper, H., & Elton-Chalcraft, S. (2022). Professional studies in primary education. Korthagen, F. A. J. (2011). Making teacher education relevant for practice: The pedagogy of realistic teacher education. ORBIS SCHOLAE. 5, 31-50. Lunenberg, M., & Korthagen, F., (2009) Experience, theory, and practical wisdom in teaching and teacher education, Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, 15:2, 225-240, McGarr, O., O’Grady, E., & Guilfoyle, L., (2017) Exploring the theory-practice gap in initial teacher education: moving beyond questions of relevance to issues of power and authority, Journal of Education for Teaching, 43:1, 48-60 Stenberg, K., Rajala, A., & Hilppo, J., (2016) Fostering theory–practice reflection in teaching practicums, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education. 44:5, 470-485 Tang. S. Y. F., Wong. A. K. Y., Li. D. D.Y. & Cheng. M. M. H. (2019) Examining student teachers’ engagement with the theory-practice link in initial teacher education, Journal of Education for Teaching