Date of Award
5-10-2010
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
David Cox
Committee Members
Daniel Cline; Mary Bradley; Mitchell Holifield; Myleea Hill
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2010 R75
Abstract
This study explored the perceived value of reflective thinking by preservice teachers and new teachers in Missouri. Surveys were randomly distributed to 1200 preservice teachers who attended NCATE (2008) universities in Missouri and to 1200 new teachers who taught in accredited private or public schools in Missouri. A total of 261 (22 percent) preservice teachers and a total of 345 (29 percent) new teachers participated in the study. The preservice teachers who were surveyed attended NCATE (2008) universities and the new teachers were teachers who had taught three years or less in accredited private or public schools in Missouri. The researcher investigated how much value was placed on reflective thinking by preservice and new teachers. Data were collected from surveys and a comparison of the responses was conducted. The survey instrument contained twenty questions which pertained to reflective thinking. Participants were asked to rate their level of agreement pertaining to the perceived value of reflective thinking based on a 6-point Likert scale. PASW (formerly SPSS) Gradpack 18 was used to run a crosstabulation of descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests were done for mean comparisons. Comparisons were made between preservice teachers and new teachers in general, preservice elementary teachers and new elementary teachers, preservice secondary teachers and new secondary teachers, preservice elementary teachers and preservice secondary teachers, new elementary teachers and new secondary teachers, and traditionally prepared new teachers and alternatively prepared new teachers. Preservice teachers and new teachers were also asked how often they use reflective thinking, if they were taught to value and practice reflective thinking in their teacher preparation programs, and if they have made any changes to their teaching as a result of reflection. Results show that overall, preservice teachers and new teachers value reflective thinking. In most cases, new teachers value reflective thinking more than preservice teachers. The results of this study are an indicator that the practice of reflective thinking needs to continue being included in teacher preparation programs for preservice teachers and in professional development programs for new teachers. The continued implementation of reflective thinking will lead preservice teachers and new teachers to value reflective thinking and will make an impact on the changes that are made in instructional practices in education.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Russback, Sarah Katherine, "The Perceived Value of Reflective Thinking by Preservice Teachers and New Teachers in Missouri" (2010). Student Theses and Dissertations. 978.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/978
