Student Teachers' Reflective Learning Practices within Secondary School Teacher Education Curriculum Implementation Processes at Bahir Dar University
In this study attempts were made to explore student teachers' reflective learning practices by taking levels and forms of reflection into account. It was also planned to examine whether or not teacher education curriculum implementation processes were facilitative for student teachers reflective learning practices through examining different actors' involvement. Qualitative case study was the design of the study. Eight purposively selected student teachers (3 females and 5 males) and four teacher educators (1 female and 3 males) were participating in the study. Multiple data gathering instruments such as interview, observations and document analysis were employed. Analysis and interpretation were made following multiple qualitative case study design with the application of pattern matching, case by case and then inter case analysis technique. Accordingly, the following major findings were obtained. In general terms, even though student teachers were good enough in conceptualizing the theoretical frames of learning and reflective learning practices, their status in reflective learning practice is found to be in its descriptive level and theoretical type of reflections. They were less engaged in the productive and higher level (e.g. critical reflection) and practical type of reflection. This informed that student teachers' reflective learning practices were below the expected standards. Of the three levels of reflection fixed in this study, descriptive level of reflection stood first and followed by comparative level of reflection with rare occurrence of critical level of reflection. In contrast, student teachers sometimes were being totally non reflective particularly in their practical learning engagements such as in teaching practices and examination responses. In terms of forms of reflection, student teachers did better on reflection on action than reflection in action, which indeed was better than how on reflection for action, was practiced. The process of curriculum implementation, in general, was theory focused and close ended which did not as such facilitative and encouraging student teachers' towards reflective learning practices especially for practical type of reflection. Except the curriculum materials, as a document, which were taken as an opportunity, the other actors (teacher educators, student teachers, and management body) of curriculum implementation processes were not supportive enough to facilitating reflective learning practices. In view of the findings, this study suggests that the teacher education management system in general and teacher educators in particular should encourage student teachers towards reflective learning practices by designing and delivering mainly open ended and practice focused contents/tasks and of course through initiating self critiques, critiques among professional colleagues and student teachers as well. This can be realized with informed consent and positive mindset of the management body, the teacher educators and student teachers about reflective teacher education paradigm.