Using Reflective Writing to Explore Pre-Service Teachers’ Beliefs and Attitudes towards Social Justice Caused by COVID-19 Mask Mandates

Abstract

Reflection is a powerful medium for promoting professional growth and improvement. In an educational setting, reflective practice enables teachers to become aware of their core beliefs and assumptions about teaching and learning. The underlying premise of attending to teacher’s dispositional characteristics is the development of attitudes and beliefs essential for ensuring the social and emotional well-being of all students. Given the ever-changing demographics in schools and society, it is critical that teacher education programs consider strategies, which expose pre-service teachers to experiences that challenge existing beliefs about those who are culturally different from themselves. Attitudes and beliefs about diversity have profound influences on teacher’s judgments and actions. The purpose of this article to provide a conceptual framework for using reflective writing as a tool towards the development of dispositions needed to support the complexity and diversity of students that pre-service teachers will encounter in their future classrooms. Reflective writing samples from 15 students enrolled in a college multicultural education class detail the reflective writing process and offer insights on how the practice contributes to the development of dispositions and skills, which promote culturally responsive and equity-oriented pedagogy.