Proceedings of The 5th World Conference on Future of Education
Year: 2022
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/5th.wcfeducation.2022.08.100
[PDF]
Audio Diaries: Developing Pre-Service Teachers’ Reflective Practices
Dr. Noémi Birta-Székely
ABSTRACT:
This qualitative study involved pre-service teachers and was conducted to provide them with an opportunity to engage in reflective practice. By creating audio diaries during the three-month practicum period, participants recorded guided reflections on their teaching practice in a sustained manner. This resulted in 16 hours of audio material which was analyzed by using the grounded theory approach. Results revealed that pre-service teachers engaged in a critical reflection through using mobile technologies and their reflection revolved around issues of time management, emotional dimensions of doing the practicum, and supervision. The research questions: What kind of support does the audio diary provide to pre-service teachers? How beneficial is this strategy for their professional development? What are those constructs or themes that constitute and/or characterize their conceptions of teaching? The research had three phases: an interview preceding the practicum, then the 6-month teaching practicum during which pre-service teachers recorded their reflections on their teaching. These audio diary entries were facilitated by 3-4 guiding questions provided by the researcher. The post-practicum interview constituted the third phase. Teachers perceived of audio diaries as useful in providing opportunities for critical reflection on their teaching practicum. Recording reflections also created new approaches and strategies to professional practice, such as ongoing and sustained reflective practice, reflection-in-action, reflection on future engagements, suggestions for guiding questions. As confirmed by the interviews, audio diaries and mobile technologies opened new perspectives to supporting teachers’ professional development and self-inquiry; hence, further research of the topic is needed.
keywords: reflection, teacher training, audio diaries, person-centered approach, supervision.