Pre-service teachers pondering the teaching of critical online reading

Development in a guided reflection process

Authors

• Pirjo Kulju Tampereen yliopisto
• Marita Mäkinen Tampereen yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.119384

Keywords:

critical reading, reflection, teacher education, teaching, pedagogical content knowledge

Abstract

The article examines pre-service teachers' reflection on teaching critical online reading during a guided reflection process. The study builds on the mentoring approach to reflection research, which was combined with the new subject area and the concept of pedagogical content knowledge. As a subject-matter area, critical online reading is still relatively new. Thus, established contents and teaching practices have not yet developed. The data for the study consisted of individual reflections (N=37) written by advanced level pre-service teachers (N=13). The reflections were written in three phases during a course on teaching critical online reading. The data were analysed using both data- and theory-driven analysis applying the Content Representations framework. According to the results, student teachers' reflection on the pedagogical content knowledge of critical online reading can be summarised in three developmental themes: defining the subject matter and related concepts, finding pedagogical solutions, and ensuring students' understanding. The results show that the guided, systematic reflection process supported the integration of the pre-service teachers’ experiences and their theoretical knowledge of the course. The study offers new perspectives on the use of reflection in teacher research, as it seeks ways to support pre-service teachers' capacity to respond to the multiple changes in society and to reform school pedagogy.