This study explores the process of preservice teachers` reflective thinking through constructing portfolios in early science education. This study, using interviews, reflective journals, video tapes, and audio tapes, explores the processes involved in...
This study explores the process of preservice teachers` reflective thinking through constructing portfolios in early science education. This study, using interviews, reflective journals, video tapes, and audio tapes, explores the processes involved in six preservice teachers` reflective thinking as they constructed portfolios based on their early science education experiences with children. The construction of a portfolio, which records an individual`s progress in a given subject of field, is said to utilize reflective thinking in promoting self direction and ownership of one`s development in that subject. Since the early 1990`s portfolios have been a vital part of the teacher preparation reform movement and have come to be widely used in teacher preservice programs. The results of this study demonstrate that the preservice teachers who participated in this research came to understand children`s perspectives and to realize the difference between practice and theory through the process of using portfolios. Moreover, they inquired into problems of teaching strategies and pondered their dispositions and limitations as teachers. Thus, teacher educators need to encourage preservice teachers to learn reflective thinking and to change their attitudes toward science education by developing positive concepts and emotions through the construction of portfolios.