Abstract
M.Ed.
One of the primary goals of the Educational Psychology honours programme at the
University of Johannesburg is to support school counsellors to think critically and
reflectively about their counselling practice in diverse educational contexts in order to
continually improve that practice. During a six month school counsellors practicum
students are encouraged to reflect on and analyse their experiences individually and
in class. These reflections are an important part of students’ learning as through
analysis and reflection they begin to connect theory and practice and learn how to
critically examine the relationship between education and society. Therefore the
purpose of reflective self-evaluation is to provide school counsellor’s in training with a
mechanism for developing a deep understanding of the complex relationship
between learning and practical experience (Abernathy, De Raad, Beck, Checho,
Furno, et al., 2008, p.149). In 1987, Donald Schön introduced the concept of
reflective practice as a critical process in refining one's skill in a specific discipline
(Ferraro, 2000). Schön (1992) recommended reflective practice as a way for
beginners in a discipline to recognise consonance between their own individual
practices and those of successful practitioners. This research focuses on the student
school counsellor and efforts to promote reflective practice through the use of
blogging, an online technology.
This research study examines the student school counsellors perception of blogging
as a tool to promote reflective practice during their practicum experience. A class
reflective blog was implemented for a four week trial period in order for the students
to gain experience of reflective blogging. The researcher acted as the facilitator of
reflection in the blog. The role of the facilitator was to respond to the blog posts by
asking reflective questions. The students were encouraged to engage in reflective
dialogue with the facilitator and the other students. Individual and focus groups
interviews were structured to collect information on the students perceptions of
blogging as a tool to promote reflective practice.
The student school counsellors perceived blogging as a strategy that promotes
reflective practice. They viewed the experience as beneficial and that blogging
encouraged the development of reflection into deeper reflections. They valued the
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facilitators comments and engaged in reflective dialogue with her. The blog was also
perceived as a tool that provided peer learning and support, however, lack of
participation by all students compromised peer learning and support.
Recommendations were made by the students in order to enhance the reflective
blogging experience. Training institutions looking to elevate the reflective practice
component of professional development should consider blogging as an option.
Keywords: reflection, reflective practice, blogging.