Effectiveness of a Seminar Focusing on Reflection of Workplace Practice Experiences among Trainee Teachers

Abstract

  This article examines in a teacher training curriculum the effectiveness of a seminar that focuses on the reflections of workplace practice experiences among trainee teachers.

  The curriculum of the Department of Education in Shinshu University requires that second-year students conduct teaching practice in a local public school for one week. After this practice, they must reflect on what they experienced during the teaching practice and discuss their thoughts with colleagues in university lessons.

  The seminar which is based on their reflection encourages the students to realize that their understanding of the causal relations in everyday lessons is limited in scope. In other words, they came to recognize that educational issues are closely related with various other elements. Moreover, they found that they look, think and feel differently from one another, even though they experience the same school experiences.