Collegial Practicum Journey of EFL Teacher Trainees through Vignette-based Reflections

Abstract

With the intent of facilitating the professional development of English-as-a-foreign language (EFL) teacher trainees, the impetus of this qualitative study is to evaluate the depth and breadth of teacher reflection using vignettes within an initial teacher education program. To this end, this study utilized the vignette technique to reveal 12 EFL teacher trainees’ reflectivity from a collegial perspective. Over a nine-week time period, the participants worked in pairs, and each pair first created vignettes based on their observations or teachings in practicum. Afterwards, they generated reflective responses to the pre-designed questions, which led them to think about the problematic or critical issues raised in the vignettes of their pairs. At the end of the process, a total of 108 vignettes were gathered. The whole qualitative data was exposed to the analysis in light of the two-dimensional framework of Fund et al. (2002), which focuses on both the depth and breadth of teacher reflection. Results indicate that the vignette-based reflections showed more balanced variety in breadth, whereas they did not contain a great number of comments made at deeper levels of reflection. Therefore, it is recommended that all the stakeholders should take more active roles to foster reflectivity and criticality toward educational matters raised in the vignettes.

Keywords

• Reflection
• vignette
• teacher trainees
• practicum
• teacher education

Kaynakça

1. Akbari, R. (2007). Reflection on reflection: A critical appraisal of reflective practice in L2 teacher education. System, 35(2), 192-207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2006.12.008
2. Ambler, T. B. (2012). Autobiographical vignettes: A medium for teachers’ professional learning through self-study and reflection. Teacher Development, 16(2), 181–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/13664530.2012.679864
3. Angelides, P., & Gibbs, P. (2006). Supporting the continued professional development of teachers through the use of vignettes. Teacher Education Quarterly, 33(4), 111–121.
4. Arya, P., & Christ, T. (2013). An exploration of how professors’ facilitation is related to literacy teachers’ meaning construction process during video-case discussions. Journal of Reading Education, 39(1), 15-22.
5. Arya, P., Christ, T., & Chiu, M. M. (2015). Links between characteristics of collaborative peer video analysis events and literacy teachers’ outcomes. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 23(2), 159-183.
6. Bartlett, L. (1990). Teacher development through reflective teaching. In Richards, J. C. & Nunan, D. (Eds.), Second language teacher education (pp. 202-214). Cambridge University Press.
7. Boud, D. (2001). Using journal writing to enhance reflective practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2001(90), 9–18.
8. Boud, D., & Walker, D. (2015). Barriers to reflection on experience. In D. Boud, R. Keogh, & D. Walker (Eds.), Reflection: Turning experience into learning. Routledge.

9. Bradbury-Jones, C., Taylor, J., & Herber, O. R. (2014). Vignette development and administration: A framework for protecting research participants. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 17(4), 427–440. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2012.750833
10. Calandra, B., Sun, Y., & Puvirajah, A. (2014). A new perspective on teachers’ video aided reflection. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 30(3), 104-109. https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2014.891880
11. Christ, T., Arya, P., & Chiu, M. M. (2012). Collaborative peer video analysis: Insights about literacy assessment & instruction. Journal of Literacy Research, 44(2), 171-199. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086296X12440429
12. Craig, C. J. (2013). Opportunities and challenges in representing narrative inquiries digitally. Teachers College Record, 115, 1-45. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811311500405
13. Davis, E. A. (2006). Characterizing productive reflection among pre-service elementary teachers: Seeing what matters. Teaching and Teacher Education, 22, 281-301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2005.11.005
14. Dewey, J. (1933). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. D.C. Heath & Company.
15. Eröz-Tuga, P. B. (2013). Reflective feedback session using video recordings. English Language Teaching, 67(2), 175-183. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccs081
16. Friesen, M., & Kuntze, S. (2016). Teacher students analyze texts, comics and video-based classroom vignettes regarding the use of representations – Does format matter? In Proceedings of the 40th Psychology of Mathematics Education Conference, edited by c. Csíkos, A. Rausch and J. Szitány, Vol. 2, 259–266. Szeged: PME.
17. Friesen, M., & Kuntze, S. (2018). Competence assessment with representations of practice in text, comic and video format. In O. Buchbinder, and S. Kuntze (Eds.), Mathematics teachers engaging with representations of practice (pp. 113–130). ICME-14 Monographs. Cham: Springer.
18. Fund, Z., Court, D., & Kramarski, B. (2002). Construction and application of an evaluative tool to assess reflection in teacher-training courses. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 27(6), 485-499. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293022000020264
19. Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Further Education Unit.
20. Henderson, S. J., Horton, R. A., Saito, P. K., & Shorter-Gooden, K. (2016). Validation of assessment vignettes and scoring rubric of multicultural and international competency in faculty teaching. Multicultural Learning and Teaching, 11(1), 53–81. https://doi.org/10.1515/mlt-2014-0002
21. Hughes, R., & Huby, M. (2004). The construction and interpretation of vignettes in social research. Social Work and Social Sciences Review, 11(1), 36–51. https://doi.org/10.1921/swssr.v11i1.428
22. Ibrahim-Didi, K. (2015). Immersion within 360 video settings: Capitalizing on embodied perspectives to develop reflection-in-action within pre-service teacher education. In T. Thomas, E. Levin, P. Dawson, K. Fraser, & R. Hadgraft (Eds.), Research and development in higher education: Learning for life and work in a complex world (pp. 235-245). HERDSA.
23. Jacobs, M., Vakalisa, N. C. G., & Gawe, N. (2011). Teaching-learning dynamics. Pearson.
24. Jasper, M. A. (2003). Nurses’ perceptions of the value of written reflection. Nurse Education Today, 19(6), 452-463. https://doi.org/10.1054/nedt.1999.0328
25. Jay, J. K., & Johnson, K. L. (2002). Capturing complexity: A typology of reflective practice for teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18(1), 73–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(01)00051-8
26. Jeffries, C., & Maeder, D. W. (2005). Using vignettes to build and assess teacher understanding of instructional strategies. The Professional Educator, 27(1&2), 17–28.
27. Jeffries, C., & Maeder, D. W. (2011). Comparing vignette instruction and assessment tasks to classroom observations and reflections. The Teacher Educator, 46(2), 161–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730.2011.552667
28. Kayapinar, U., & Erkus, A. (2009). Measuring teacher reflection: Development of TRS. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 37, 144–158.
29. Kharlay, O., Wei, W., & Philips, J. (2022). How do I teach? Exploring knowledge of reflective practice among in-service EFL teachers in Ukraine. Teachers and Teaching, 28(2), 188-205. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2022.2062709
30. Larrivee, B. (2008). Development of a tool to assess teachers’ level of reflective practice. Reflective Practice, 9(3), 341–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623940802207451
31. Mathew, P., Prasanth Mathew, P., & Peechattu, P. J. (2017). Reflective practices: A means to teacher development. Asia Pacific Journal of Contemporary Education and Communication Technology (APJCECT), 3(1), 126-131.
32. McGarr, O., & Gallchóir, C. Ó. (2020). Exploring pre-service teachers’ justifications for one-to-one technology use in schools: Implications for initial teacher education. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 29(4), 477-490.
33. Moon, J. A. (2004). A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: Theory and practice. Routledge.
34. Nind, M., & Pepin, B. (2009). Transformation and regulation in educational research. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 32(2), 135–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437270902954656
35. Osterman, K. F., & Kottkamp, R. B. (2015). Reflective practice for educators: Professional development to improve student learning (2nd ed.). Corwin Press.
36. Schon, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
37. Shanahan, L. E., & Tochelli, A. L. (2014). Examining the use of video study groups for developing literacy pedagogical content knowledge for critical elements of strategy instruction with elementary teachers. Literacy Research and Instruction, 53(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388071.2013.827764
38. Skilling, K., & Stylianides, G. J. (2020). Using vignettes in educational research: A framework for vignette construction. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 43(5), 541-556. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2019.1704243
39. Stecher, B., Le, V. N., Hamilton, L., Ryan, G., Robyn, A., & Lockwood, J. R. (2006). Using structured classroom vignettes to measure instructional practices in mathematics. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 28(2), 101–130. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737028002101
40. Tasar, M. F. (2006). Probing pre-service teachers’ understandings of scientific knowledge by using a vignette in conjunction with a paper and pencil test. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2(1), 53–70. https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/75438
41. Torres, S. (2009). Vignette methodology and culture-relevance: Lessons learned through a project on successful aging with Iranian immigrants to Sweden. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 24(1), 93-114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10823-009-9095-9
42. Turhan, B., & Kırkgöz, Y. (2018). Towards becoming critical reflection writers: A case of English language teacher candidates. Reflective Practice, 19(6), 749–762. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2018.1539651
43. Turhan, B., & Kırkgöz, Y. (2023). A critical and collaborative stance towards retrospective reflection in language teacher education. European Journal of Teacher Education, 46(2), 222-240. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2021.1917545
44. Volkmann, M. J. (2000). Integrating field experience and classroom discussions: Vignettes as vehicles for reflection. East Lansing, MI: National Center for Research on Teacher Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED442638)
45. Walshe, N., & Driver, P. (2019). Developing reflective trainee teacher practice with 360-degree video. Teaching and Teacher Education, 78, 97-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.11.009
46. Wilkerson, T., Kerschen, K., & Shelton, R. (2018). Pre-service teachers’ critical connections to effective mathematical teaching practices: An instructional approach using vignettes. Action in Teacher Education, 40(4), 358-373. https://doi.org/10.1080/01626620.2018.1512430
47. Yang, S. H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice. Educational Technology and Society, 12(2), 11-21.
48. Yılmaz, E., & Akar, H. (2022). Rethinking the assessment of the quality of teacher reflection by validating an innovative vignette‑based instrument and an analytic coding scheme. Asia Pacific Education Review, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-022-09773-6
49. Zeichner, K. M., & Liston, D. P. (2013). Reflective teaching: An introduction. Routledge.