A STUDY ON REFLECTIVE DIARY OF

B.EDSTUDENT-TEACHERS TO
IMPROVE TEACHING IN PRACTICE-
LESSONS

ABSTRACT

The reflective diary as an effective tool for teachers’ professional training.

Used as part of the activities of pre-service teaching practice, it is a tool for
descriptive, reflective and/or critical recording of professional experiences
lived by the teacher-trainee in teacher training situations. The reflective diary
helps organise the activity of guided analysis of pedagogical practice
experiences aimed at identifying students own needs, interests, training
motivation, the degree of mastery of past acquisitions, shaping an accurate
image on their effectiveness in practical teaching situations. The analysis,
processing and interpretation of such a structured reflective diary is focused on
the following areas characterizing the school climate factors where students
conduct teaching practice analysing the relationship between the school
mentor and student identifying the strengths and weaknesses in terms of
classroom management.
KEYWORDS: Reflective-diary, Pre-service, Teaching-practice

I.INTRODUCTION:
Reflection is considered as an effective way in increasing teachers “ability
to present good learning material, build better teacher-student relationship and
also develop class- room management skills. According to Boud, Keogh, and
Walker, reflection in the physical sense is to look self-images in the mirror and
making sense of it as experiences. This process of thinking back will lead to
build teachers “critical analysis and construct dialog and meaningful storage of
knowledge as reflection becomes their habit”.

The pedagogical practice activity is carried out in the professional field in

which future teachers are to be integrated, and some of the specific activities
of school teaching -practice are knowledge regarding the school, the
organization of school space, the equipment, school documents, the
organization of specific activities of the school activities for knowing the
students and school group, the drawing up of the psycho-pedagogical sheet of
the student, of the psychosocial characterization sheet of the class, practicing
ways to increase cooperation and creativity didactic activities observation and
direct involvement in the design, implementation and evaluation of lessons,
teaching activities complementary to lessons, activities of school management
observation of teaching process management, management of the
educational institution. Constant concern to improve teaching practice i s
a l s o m a t e r i a l i z e d i n the emphasis laid on reflective practice, meaning the
lived experiences and subjected to reflective questioning. Reflective practice
is essentially heuristic, creative and it develops teacher autonomy. Introducing
reflexivity in teaching internship can be done in multiple ways. We mention
some of them: reflective diary, reflective portfolio, mentor (tutor) of teaching
practice as facilitator and reflective advisor, the reflective guidance of the
student during the practicum, reflective evaluation (counselling and reflection
type) as premise of the final assessments for pre-service teacher certification.
Used in observational teaching practice activities, we shall highlight features of
the personal diary as a tool of descriptive, reflective and critical recording
of professional experiences encountered in situations of practical training in
the training of future teachers.
Teacher-education institute provides teaching to the student-teachers and
as a part of a training they should also be trained to be a reflective teacher and
this is done in B.Ed. programme in teacher-education institute affiliated to
Davangere University as a part of curriculum they have to write a detailed
reflective diary. Investigator tried to find out the reflective thinking of trainee
and improvement in their teaching in this study. Education helps to make life
more prosperous and this noble deed is possible only by the teachers. Teachers
will think on or about all the activities related to their teaching logically. They
analyze and synthesis their teaching fragments and thus, by this procedure they
will make their teaching more fruitful and productive. Reflective thinking is a
master key to open the treasure of success.

II. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

Investigator has constructed the following objective to conduct the present study
on thebasis of review of reference literature.
 To know the reflective-thinking of student-teachers before the classroom
 teachingin practice-lessons (teaching).
 To know the reflective-thinking of student-teachers during the classroom
teachingin practice-lessons (teaching).
 To know the reflective-thinking of student-teachers after the classroom
teaching inpractice-lessons (teaching).
 To know the self-suggestions for improvement in their teaching.
III. RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
How is reflective-thinking of student-teachers before the classroom teaching
in thepractice-lesson (teaching)?
How is the reflective-thinking of student-teachers during the class room
teaching inthe practice lessons (teaching)?
How is the reflective-thinking of student-teachers after the class room
teaching inthe practice lessons (teaching)?
What are their self-suggestions for improvement in their teaching?

IV. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:

There are very few researches done on reflective-thinking in India and especially
on the reflective-thinking of teacher-students during practice teaching at schools.
Teacher- education institutes provides teaching to the student-teachers and as a
part of a training they should also be trained to be a reflective teacher and this is
done in B.Ed. programmer in teacher education institutes affiliated to Davangere
University as a part of curriculum they have to write a detailed reflective diary.
Investigator tried to find out the reflective- thinking of trainee and improvement in
their teaching in this study. Writing a reflective- diary is a part of B.Ed. curriculum
of Chandra Chellappan college of education, Namakkal, affiliated by the TNTEU
University and as a part of teacher-training all student- teachers write this
reflective diary.
V. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY:
For the present study, designed as a qualitative interpretive approach was
used as research method for collecting information.
 SAMPLE: In the present study 30 reflective diaries of Chandra
Chellappan college of education, Namakkal, student-teachers were
selected out of 100 reflective diaries of student-teachers by random
sampling method.
 TOOLS USED TO COLLECT DATA: In the present study reflective diaries
were used as a tool. In the reflective diaries, student teachers have written
their teaching experiences during practice teaching which is included in
their experience before the classroom teaching, during the class room
 teaching and after the class room teaching.
 STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES USED: The appropriate statistical tools
have been used such as simple mean, standard deviation, median.
VI. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION:
Data were collected from the reflective diaries of Chandra Chellappan college of
education, (B.Ed. college)student teachers of B.Ed. programme and the content
analysis was used to analyze and interpret the data because the present
study is of qualitative research in nature.
VII. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY:
 Reflective Thinking before Classroom Teaching:
 Most of the student-teachers thought about, how will be a
class or the students?
 They took lots of time in formulating and deciding objectives for
a particular unit.
 Most of the students thought which teaching methods and
technique will fulfill their objectives.
 Most of the students were worried about the teaching aids and
also tried to make their own (self-made) teaching aids for
class room teaching in practice teaching.
 Some of the students teachers thought about- which method
will be more creative and effective in teaching their respective
subjects.
 Very few student- teachers thought about the problem that
can arise in the classroom.
 Most of the students were bothered about the time limited and
for that they had also rehearsed the whole lesson.
 Some of the student’s teachers checked all their necessary
things which is required in the classroom in advance.
 Very few student-teachers thought about their reading or
getting related reference material for the content or teaching.

 Reflective Thinking during the Class-room Teaching:

 Most of the student-teachers had same thinking on their first
lesson in practice-teaching were they on the right track or
did they speak properly?
 Some of the student-teachers have forgotten the content of the
subject.
 Most of the student-teacher have forgotten t use colored
 chalk in their first lesson.
 Most of the students-teachers found it difficult to explain the
content without the help of text- book especially in the subject
like social science though they had practiced it before.
 Some of the student’s teachers gave negative reinforcement to
the students for their wrong answers.
 Some of the student-teachers wrote that they had
forgotten to ask questions to the students as they planned,
they had simply explained or read the lesson which was not
according to their plan.
 Most of the student-teachers paid attention to the bright
students who gave them the correct answers.
 Very few students-teachers wrote that they tried to motivate
the dull and mischievous students to give answers.
 Some of the student-teachers noted that they couldn’t handle
they mischievous students and they got disturbed by them.
 Some of the student-teachers found that their teaching
material (content) was not enough for the students they felt
that the students know more than them.
 Very few student-teachers wrote that they got disturbed
and embarrassed because students imitate or copy their
particular colloquial language.
 Very few student-teachers wrote that from the very first day
they enjoyed teaching and got good response from the
students.
 Reflective Thinking after the Classroom Teaching:
 Most of the students decided to read or prepare more
reference materialfor their respective subject.
 They found that new innovative methods are more effective
so almost all decided to use new innovative methods for
teaching.
 Some of the student-teachers decided to improve their
attitude towards dull and mischievous students.
 Most of the students-teachers decided to improve their writing
skills especially for B.B.work.
  Most of the student – teachers decided to increase their confidence by
more practice.
 Most of the students-teachers decided to involve the entire class in
teaching learning process.
DISCUSSION:
Findings of the study showed that most of the student-teachers found difficulty in their
first lesson but later on they improved their teaching or attitude by reflective-thinking.
They have changed their method and way of teaching and at the last lesson they have
improved up to mark. They wrote all their experiences of practice-teaching.

CONCLUSION:
Research has been conducted on reflective teaching as an essential part in teachers’
professional development little has been done to investigate student teachers reflective
experiences during practice teaching. The reflective practice is a cyclical process, because
once we start to implement changes, then the reflective and evaluative cycle begins again.
As a result of reflection, the teacher may decide to do something in a different way, or may
just decide that what she/he has been doing is the best way. Therefore, being a teacher
one needs to reflect on the experiences or activities one is doing for one’s growth. In short,
by developing knowledge and understanding the setting practice and the ability to identify
and react to the problems the student teachers can become effective teachers. Teachers
can deal with the needs and different issues of the learners and demand of time if they
reflects on their daily teaching learning activities for their professional growth. To deal
and survive in their professional field, the student teachers need to grow and bring
changes in their behaviour and style. Reflection is a flash back that the teachers need to
mediate for their development.