Analysis of the Reflections of Student-Teachers of Mathematics When Working with Learning Portfolios in Spanish University Classrooms

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Jan. 08, 2009

Source: Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 25, Issue 1, January 2009, Pages 198-206

Research in teacher-training counsels that reflection should be fostered in order to prepare capable professionals for educational practice. For this reason, a teaching-learning process for training mathematics student-teachers in Spanish university classrooms incorporating an assessment system that included keeping a learning portfolio was analyzed.
The objective was to assess each student's learning in reflection about his/her vision of the learning process developed in the university training classrooms, in knowledge of mathematical and methodological contents (knowledge) and in creativity.

Research Questions

1. What levels of reflective thinking do student-teachers of mathematics exhibit in their learning portfolio about the learning process carried out in the university training classroom?
2. What is the relation between the reflection levels reached by student-teachers of mathematics and those obtained in other aspects of the learning process?

Participants

A total of 33 student-teachers considered for the study (10 men and 23 women) completed all the activities of the module. Their average age was 21.7.
The experience was conducted by the usual faculty lecturer who was also a member of the research team.


Rubrics were built for each of the four fundamental aspects (mathematics, methodology, reflection and creativity), with common criteria, to study the relationship between the outcomes obtained and to compare them with those of a final written exam.
The results showed the difference between the assessment of student-teachers in reflection and the other aspects, and thus the need to use specific assessment instruments for the different capabilities being developed in the training process.
 

Updated: Jan. 19, 2009
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