| The purpose of this investigation is to examine the nature of teacher reflection in pre-service language teacher education programs. Specifically, it investigates different types of reflective experiences and how the social contexts within which teachers work shape the nature of their reflections. Such data are essential since we, as teacher educators, are responsible for choosing both the types of reflective experiences that we will provide our pre-service teachers and the contexts in which they carry out their professional development.; Two pre-service teachers, completing a secondary teacher education program at a large, northeastern university participated in this study. Multiple sets of data were collected during the participants' university-based language teaching methodology course (e.g., reflection papers, critical application papers, and a take-home essay) and subsequent student teaching practicum (e.g., reflective journals, written lesson analyses, a teaching philosophy paper, semi-structured interviews, and stimulus recall protocols). Situated learning theory served as the lens of data analysis and interpretation, and the data were analyzed both inductively such that the theory generated represented grounded theory, and deductively using Hatton & Smith's (1995) framework of types of reflection.; Based on the findings, the present study challenges Hatton & Smith's (1995) view of teacher reflection as a hierarchical developmental sequence and, in turn, proposes a reconceptualization of reflection. The data support a non-hierarchical view of development and argue for a complex, multifaceted perspective that is shaped by many factors, including what is reflected on and the nature of the reflective experiences. Reflection is not static within single reflective events, such as a journal entry, but rather fluid, weaving through all types of reflective opportunities. Moreover, different types of reflection occur simultaneously, revealing themselves as embedded units and patterns of reflection, and intermingle through different reflective experiences and professional development contexts. From this re-conceptualized view of the nature of teacher reflection, several pedagogical implications regarding teacher reflection and the inclusion of reflective experiences during language teacher education programs are presented along with directions for future research. |
