“Ready-ready” to teach: The telling case of a reflective teacher-practitioner

Abstract

This qualitative telling case study was situated within a broader project, which explored how the research participants modified their teaching after having completed their master’s program. We investigated reflective stance of a teacher-practitioner who was a graduate of a Master’s Literacy Specialist program, which promoted reflective teaching practices using videos of students’ own teaching. The research questions were: (1) How does the participant demonstrate his use of a reflective stance with regard to teaching practices? (2) What are the modifications in teaching practices that were made by the participant after the reflective video pedagogy course used in his graduate practicum? (3) What other elements of his graduate program does the participant describe as being important in his development as a reflective practitioner? (4) Which of these elements does he choose to employ in his classroom? Primary data sources included: classroom observations, participant interviews, and student artifacts. We analysed the data using qualitative methods of open coding, thematic analysis, and triangulation. The research found that the focus-participant reported a series of modifications made by him to his teaching and demonstrated his use of reflective stance on the high mastery level.