Start Date

6-6-2013 11:05 AM

End Date

6-6-2013 12:15 PM

Description

Since Dewey (1933) highlighted reflection as an essential component in higher education, scholars (Dyment & O’Connell, 2011, Finlay 2008, & Hatcher, Bringle, & Muthiah, 2004) have pointed out the crucial role reflection plays in Service-Learning (S-L). Listed as one of the essential elements in service-learning, reflection acts as the hyphen between service and learning (Giles & Eyler, 1999). It enables participants to connect action and learning in a real-life setting, creating a new dimension through a deeper understanding of their experiences. No longer passive consumers of knowledge, participants can better clarify their own beliefs and values, explore issues emerged in their service and relate themselves to the community they engage. In the English Department, Fu-Jen Catholic University, teachers and students initiated this two-week English teaching project in Nan-tou, central Taiwan, since 2005 in order to bridge the “English Divide”. This case study aims to further our understanding of how the reflective process can be facilitated in the five stages of S-L projects--investigation, planning, action, reflection and demonstration (Kaye, 2010). How can teachers design tasks facilitating reflection at these five stages? How do evidences in students’ reflective accounts correspond to the task configuration? The literature review section focuses on the role of reflection and summarizes various frameworks and models in S-L (Brookfield, 1995, Shön, 1983, Boud et al, 1985, Kolb, 1984). Types of reflective activities designed in each of the stages will then be exemplified to discuss pedagogical impacts. In order to study the subtle changes captured in students’ reflective process, qualitative data including students’ reflective accounts, semi-structured interviews and classroom observation are collected. One particular data-analysis technique, I-statement analysis, will be discussed to show how participants’ streams of thoughts can be quantified and studied in more detail. The findings of this study, particularly the application of I-statement analysis, illustrate how the four Cs reflection principle—continuous, connected, challenging and contextualized reflection—can guide the practice (Eyler & Dwight, 1996). This small scale investigation demonstrates that systematic analysis on reflection helps practitioners see more depths in the reflective process.

Recommended Citation

Wei, Y. C. S., & Hsu, H. C. B. (2013, June). Further our understanding of reflection through I-statement Analysis. Paper presented at the 4th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Service-Learning: Service-Learning as a Bridge from Local to Global: Connected world, Connected future, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China.

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Jun 6th, 11:05 AM Jun 6th, 12:15 PM

Further our understanding of reflection through I-statement Analysis

Since Dewey (1933) highlighted reflection as an essential component in higher education, scholars (Dyment & O’Connell, 2011, Finlay 2008, & Hatcher, Bringle, & Muthiah, 2004) have pointed out the crucial role reflection plays in Service-Learning (S-L). Listed as one of the essential elements in service-learning, reflection acts as the hyphen between service and learning (Giles & Eyler, 1999). It enables participants to connect action and learning in a real-life setting, creating a new dimension through a deeper understanding of their experiences. No longer passive consumers of knowledge, participants can better clarify their own beliefs and values, explore issues emerged in their service and relate themselves to the community they engage. In the English Department, Fu-Jen Catholic University, teachers and students initiated this two-week English teaching project in Nan-tou, central Taiwan, since 2005 in order to bridge the “English Divide”. This case study aims to further our understanding of how the reflective process can be facilitated in the five stages of S-L projects--investigation, planning, action, reflection and demonstration (Kaye, 2010). How can teachers design tasks facilitating reflection at these five stages? How do evidences in students’ reflective accounts correspond to the task configuration? The literature review section focuses on the role of reflection and summarizes various frameworks and models in S-L (Brookfield, 1995, Shön, 1983, Boud et al, 1985, Kolb, 1984). Types of reflective activities designed in each of the stages will then be exemplified to discuss pedagogical impacts. In order to study the subtle changes captured in students’ reflective process, qualitative data including students’ reflective accounts, semi-structured interviews and classroom observation are collected. One particular data-analysis technique, I-statement analysis, will be discussed to show how participants’ streams of thoughts can be quantified and studied in more detail. The findings of this study, particularly the application of I-statement analysis, illustrate how the four Cs reflection principle—continuous, connected, challenging and contextualized reflection—can guide the practice (Eyler & Dwight, 1996). This small scale investigation demonstrates that systematic analysis on reflection helps practitioners see more depths in the reflective process.