Vocational teacher students’ critical reflections in site-based education

ABSTRACT Critical reflection is an essential element in the professional teacher’s practice. This article investigates vocational teacher education (VTE) students´ ability to reflect when engaged in site-based education and considers how arrangements in vocational teacher education enable or constrain this ability. The study was conducted at one Swedish university, where 78 VTE students’ written self-evaluation reports from three practicum courses were analyzed on the basis of the concept of critical reflection and the theory of practice architectures. The findings emphasize the value of a strong relationship between the learning at university and in the teaching workplace, and the progression of critical reflection throughout the education. These findings support the conclusion that practice architectures that improve VTE students’ ability to critical reflection need to include tasks that focuse on both reflection and on bridging the contexts of research-based and experience-based knowledge and practice.