Change in Mode of Discussion toward Collaborative Review Sessions with Deeper Reflection:
Based on a Series of Review Sessions of Mock Lessons at Graduate School of Teacher Education
2019 Volume 28 Pages 96-106
Details
2019 Volume 28 Pages 96-106
This paper investigates the ways in which students’ discussion developed through review sessions of mock-lessons, and the impact made on the students’ collaborative and deep reflection, after repeating the practices over a year. Korthagen’s ALACT model suggests that deepening reflection needs “awareness of essential aspects.” To learn about how to engage in deep and collaborative reflection is not an easy task for students. This study, therefore, observed how students (of teacher preparation program) entered into a different mode of discussion throughout their review sessions lasting more than a year.
This research is centered on a case study in which students of a professional graduate school of teacher education employed dialogue-based review sessions after each mock-lesson. For data analysis, this study has transcribed and compared the first six sessions and the last six sessions of 59 total review sessions carried out.
The prominent theme in the first six sessions was “procedural issues,” and the discussions remained at a superficial level. Every participant spoke at length, but the total number of utterances in each session remained small. The last six sessions, on the other hand, saw discussions challenging the framework assumed by those who played the role of the teacher in the mock-lessons. Every participant spoke in short statements and each session's utterances was large in number.
For further analysis, one from each first six and last six review sessions were selected to inquire into the introductory phase of discussions. In the earliest review session, the participants added judgmental comments or advice in an utterance after giving their thoughts and feelings as a learner. Furthermore, their statements lacked coherence and tended to be fragmented. The session chosen for analysis of the last six, however, found the participants frank in sharing their thoughts and feelings as a learner. The utterances were developed in connection with and on the basis of other people’s statements.
Through comparatively analyzing the discussions at the earliest and the latest stages of review sessions, this study identified some ways in which chains of short utterances lead to collective and deep reflections. The reflective discussion thus proceeds spirally rather than linearly.
