ERIC Number: ED667766
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-4739-4672-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 2014-01-01
Exploring Education Students' Reflexivity through the Arts in an After-School Writing Tutoring Program: A Descriptive Case. Sage Research Methods Cases Part 1
Janet C. Richards
Sage Research Methods Cases
As part of course requirements, 16 elementary education students in a master's cohort tutored groups of Kindergarten-5th grade children in a service-learning, after-school writing program that emphasized teacher care. The education students had never taught children in a school setting and consequently had difficulties reflecting about their lessons through weekly e-mail communication. As the instructor of the course, I had a hunch innovative artistic processes might unleash and heighten the education students' abilities as reflective practitioners. Therefore, I asked them to explore their pedagogy through the arts. Concurrently, I conducted a study to ascertain in what ways arts constructions might prompt the education students' motivation and abilities to thoughtfully consider their work. As respected arts scholars suggest, throughout the inquiry process, I monitored and documented my research methodology in an attempt to achieve and verisimilitude (i.e. truthfulness). I learned that the education students had distinct preferences for specific modes of reflection (i.e. e-mail communication, self-portraits with dialogue, poetry, or a combination of these three approaches.) Employing constant comparative methods, I also discovered that the education students revealed little contemplation about teaching in their e-mail messages. However, arts-based techniques, particularly poetry, fostered and illuminated their pedagogical introspections. In addition, I found the education students wrote incongruent messages depending upon whether they reflected through e-mail, self-portraits with dialogue, or poetry. [This content is provided in the format of an e-book.]
Descriptors: Preservice Teachers, Preservice Teacher Education, Elementary School Curriculum, Grade 5, After School Education, Tutoring, Writing Instruction, Service Learning, Art, Poetry, Teaching Methods, Teacher Educators, Communication Strategies
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Publication Type: Books; Non-Print Media; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Elementary Education; Grade 5; Intermediate Grades; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A