In this session, language teacher candidates’ discourse generated as part of a national performance assessment (edTPA) is analyzed in order to identify instances of reflection and the extent to which this type of assessment generates specific forms of reflective discourse. Implications for teacher education programs are discussed.
Reflective practices have become integral to many language teacher education programs. Such practices aim to support the acquisition of theoretical knowledge, the generation of practical skills, and the ability to explore situated problems (Farrell, 2006, 2011). Similarly, assessments of language teacher candidates for certification purposes have started to incorporate reflective practices. At present, the edTPA -one of the most extensively-used of performance assessments in the US- attempts to determine if candidates can demonstrate appropriate teaching knowledge and skills. The edTPA is also assumed to provide opportunities to demonstrate a reflective disposition or stance (Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity, 2018). However, it has been noted that most teacher candidates find this kind of reflection difficult (Troyan & Kaplan, 2015) and, more worrisome, that the edTPA might even be in opposition to “creating opportunities for teacher candidates to arrive at instructional decisions through reflection” (Lachuk & Koellner, 2015:92). In this session, an analysis of edTPA task 2 commentary in relation to reflective discourse is reported. Task 2 focuses on describing and analyzing a teacher candidate’s own practice in terms of promoting learning, engaging students, and building on previous knowledge and skills. It also asks teacher candidates to propose and discuss possible changes to their teaching to better facilitate student learning. The data analyzed includes a set of task 2 commentary written by K-12 language teacher candidates attending a US Midwestern University. Using a qualitative content analysis, their discourse is examined in relation to typologies and rubrics aimed at identifying different types of reflection (Jay & Johnson, 2002) and its various dimensions and qualities (Ward & McCotter, 2004). The presenters discuss what practices seem to prompt participants to reflect and the extent to which edTPA tasks generate specific forms of reflective discourse. Finally, implications for teacher education programs are explored.
