This paper used the data collected from reflective diaries, semi-structured interviews and surveys to identify and examine common themes identified in the roles required and/or perceived for teacher educators by both teachers and teacher educators. Collaboration, discussion and critique enabled personal reflection as teacher educators worked as…

Despite long-standing commitment to the notion of critical reflection across the healthcare professions it is unusual for critical theory and practice to be taught as explicit subjects in healthcare higher education. There is evidence to show that reflective techniques such as critical portfolios and reflective diaries can help students to…

The purpose of this phenomenological multi-case study was to explore with four secondary social studies teachers their experiences teaching controversial issues. Through a better understanding of the motivation of these teachers, the successes and challenges they experienced, and the strategies they utilized, more informed decisions about teaching…

This study aimed at comparing the effects of reflective learning portfolio (RLP) and dialogue journal writing (DJW) on the Iranian EFL learners' grammatical accuracy in writing as well as their overall writing performance. 60 Iranian EFL learners between the ages of 17 to 30 who were studying at general English courses were selected based on their…

Background: Incorporating assessment as a regular practice can enhance teaching and learning in primary physical education. However, there is little evidence to suggest primary teachers use assessment strategies regularly in their physical education classes. Purpose: To explore the impact of incorporating assessment into primary teachers' physical…

Studies of reflective practices among pre-service teachers focus mostly on teaching practice and very rarely on the acquisition of academic knowledge. The aim of this study was to examine the reflections of 25 pre-service teachers in online forums and weblogs focused on their learning in two literary pedagogical courses. A total of 97 online forum…

Over the past few years, the virtual landscape of South African higher education institutions has changed as a result of ubiquitous and ever-present technological initiatives that can potentially provide students with a flexible learning space. Within these learning spaces, Web 2.0 tools have transformed educators' pedagogical approaches to…

There are two purposes of this study. The first is to examine our experiences as beginning teacher educators who taught using models-based practice (using the example of Cooperative Learning). The second is to consider the benefits of using collaborative self-study to foster deep understandings of teacher education practice. The findings highlight…

Blogs are increasingly used in formal education to create personal learning environments, providing self-directed learners with more freedom, choice, and control over their learning. This paper will share findings of a study where students at the tertiary level were asked to commence blogs as a supplementary platform to engage in the learning of…

Because most American teachers work with a diverse student population, they need to be interculturally competent to interact successfully with their students. One of the best hopes for developing cultural competence is through an international experience. As important as it is for teachers to have an international experience, it is even more…

The use of reflective tasks, such as journals, as a means to enhance learning is not uncommon in higher education. However, the formative value of reflective tasks is not easily reconciled in tertiary settings where assessment requirements traditionally favour product over process. While learner perception and resolution of this tension have…

Either action research by teachers uses the approach as a methodology to examine pedagogical change in a single intervention or it is used as means of understanding a journey of change. In contrast, this paper examines the significant impact of using action research in a second cycle of learning in the same context and with the same participants.…

This study investigates teacher stress, anxiety, and burnout through my experience teaching music in a suburban Toronto secondary school between 2002 and 2008. Primary data sources include a rich collection of journal entries I have written over a six-year period, which were retrospectively analyzed in this study. Hence, this study is principally…

The CercleS version of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) has been used with language degree students at the University of Padova since the academic year 2002-2003. The courses into which it is embedded are generally blended: lessons take place in traditional classrooms and in the multimedia language laboratory, and students work online in…

This paper reviews the effectiveness of web logs ("blogs"), or online journals, within the context of a compulsory final-year placement unit for public relations students. The key goal behind the use of Web2.0 technology was to encourage ongoing, reflective practice via an exchange between students thereby limiting feelings of isolation…