Enhancing Reflective Writing Skills of Pre-Service B.Ed Secondary Science Student-Teachers: An Action Research Study in Bhutan

Abstract

Sixteen B.Ed final year science student-teachers needed to improve their critical reflection as it was found through their writings and interactions in the class that they could not reflect critically. Therefore, this study examined critical reflection of these student-teachers through reflective writing. Reflective writing is important because it can assist these new professionals to learn reflection, even critical reflection, knowledge and skills. A range of intervention strategies such as Moons stages of reflection, RAP (read, ask and put), discussion, questioning, and constructive feedback were identified to achieve these. Data were triangulated and gathered over time in an action research study. The study revealed that there was marked improvement in student reflective writing skills and classroom participation and teacher skills. Before the intervention, the student-teachers were shy and quiet. After the intervention strategies, the class atmosphere became lively, exciting and rich during classroom participation. Student-teachers were also able to contribute more constructive ideas in the classroom discussion on the journal articles. Further, the early reflective papers they submitted were merely duplications of ideas and very few incorporated their experiences related to the article. The reflective papers they wrote after the intervention was very encouraging. The papers had their experiences shared and metaphors and analogies drawn. Moon's (1999) model of reflection was a useful scaffold.