Professional induction of teachers: A study of student-supervisor dialogue journals

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to reveal the mechanisms by which a university supervisor leads five student-teachers to reflective professionalism in dialogue journals used during the final field experience of a two year graduate teacher preparation program for teachers of children who are Deaf and Hard-of Hearing. The participants in the study were four female and one male student-teacher in their final semester of preparation, and one female university supervisor. The data comprised of dialogue journals exchanged between the student-teachers and their supervisor during the nine-week field experience. The intention of the dialogue journal assignment was to develop a relationship which would facilitate educational dialogue and promote reflection. The supervisor intended that the student-teachers use the dialogue journals to examine problems of practice and professionalism and to integrate theory and practice. The results showed that the concerns of the student-teachers clustered into four themes, completion of requirements, competence in practice, caring in field experience relationships, and practical and ethical conflict resolution. In addition, the supervisor met her objectives of forming educational relationships and providing a model of teacher-like thinking and problem solving through use of a variety of strategies, both direct and indirect, within a collegial milieu. The essential effect of the supervisory strategy-use was to differentiate student-teacher perceptions of their experiences such that problem-solving was facilitated. In addition reflection was promoted. Three types of reflection were identified. Reflection-in-action resembled Donald Schon's category of that name. Reflection-on-belief produced ethical development, and reflection-on-context produced critique of the contexts of teaching. When overwhelmed, student-teachers ruminated rather than reflected. The supervisor responded by scaffolding a reflective pathway to empowered problem-solving. It seemed that the student-teachers were inducted through these means to the profession of teaching. The conclusions are that dialogue journals provide unparalleled opportunities for thoughtful reflective conversation, providing as they do, built in wait-time. In addition they provide teacher educators with opportunities to be directly involved in the education of children through problem-solving with the student-teachers, thus maintaining their credentials as authentically experienced teachers.