Source: Teaching and Teacher Education, Volume 24, Issue 7, October 2008, P. 1884-1892
This article examines the use of peer-videoing in the classroom as a tool to promote reflective practice among student teachers. 20 pre-service teachers from a variety of subject disciplines participating in a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education program in an Irish university participated in the study.
The practice of encouraging student teachers working in the same school to participate in structured video analysis avoids the impact of external observers whose role is largely evaluative and endorses a collaborative model that promotes dialogue and shared learning. This practice promotes a culture of observation and critical dialogue in a profession which has traditionally been characterized by isolation, while at the same time fostering and validating the voice and experience of the student teacher.
By using theoretical literature on reflective practice, the purpose of this article is to contribute to the international debate over best practice in supporting, encouraging and scaffolding reflective practice. The article discusses the implications of reflective dialogue for the modernization of teacher education. It also offers guidelines on how best to scaffold and promote reflectivity.