In this paper the authors explore the heuristic potential in the image of the teacher-as-stranger and use it as a frame for reflecting on teacher change and growth. Drawing on the sociological figure of the stranger, they conduct a qualitative study of a sample of teachers who are not only strangers in a metaphorical sense, but who, because they…

The promotion of reflective practice, while widely advocated in higher education settings, nonetheless presents numerous challenges. This is an under-researched aspect of the discourse on reflective practice. A key challenge for those working in the field of teacher education within higher education is to promote a culture of refection in large…

The objective of the study is to explore the prevalence of reflective teaching practices among Turkish primary school teachers. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used together in the study. The sample was composed of 328 primary school teachers working in 30 primary education institutions in the town of Antakya in the province of…

This paper examines the use of peer-videoing in the classroom as a means of promoting reflection among student teachers. Ten pre-service teachers participating in a teacher education programme in a university in the Republic of Ireland and ten pre-service teachers participating in a teacher education programme in a university in the North of…

This study explored the use of reflective journals to help develop the autonomy and decision-making of in-service teachers of English as a foreign language in Turkey. It investigated how teachers gained autonomy and decision-making skills when they were given the opportunity to critically reflect on the classroom processes in their own contexts.…

This study seeks to understand how university supervisors and cooperating teachers approach giving feedback during the practice teaching experience to pre-service English language teachers and the nature of feedback they give through post-lesson conferences and written evaluations. The data for the study come from field notes of classroom…

Using a Vygotskian sociocultural view of learning, this article explores what teacher-authored narratives can tell us about the internal activity of teacher learning, how teacher learning works to alter the nature of activity in the classroom, and how that, in turn, influences how teachers describe the nature of student learning. By examining how…

The article illustrates the hopes and challenges evident in my attempt to use action research as an approach to engage student teachers in reflective processes. The data was systematically generated from the student teachers themselves and from the diaries I noted through out the inquiry. The study suggested that while lack of previous experience…

Suggests that becoming an expert teacher and judging teaching quality are complex and situational, exploring the use of a conceptual framework for analyzing eight teaching portfolios submitted by new university teachers as an assessment and qualification requirement. The study made a case for analyzing portfolios by asking whether teachers held…

Developing reflective practice in pre-service student teachers is a goal of many teacher education programs. This article describes three activities used in a graduate teacher education program that were designed to use an arts focus to provoke deeper reflection about teaching and learning. Clay tiles were used for illustrating personal metaphors…

Interviewed British teacher educators regarding their intentions and attitudes toward their programs. Respondents' views on program goals differed significantly. Their views about outcomes were mapped onto available conceptual frameworks about what developing as a higher education teacher involved. Four instruments for identifying the outcomes of…

This article arises from an initiative set up by four Beacon Schools to enhance the professional development of teachers and hence raise pupil attainment in all schools in the local education authority. The initiative provided opportunities for teachers to work in cross-institutional interest groups, with the aim of sharing good practice and…