Using Dialogue Journals as a Multi-Purpose Tool for Preservice Teacher Preparation: How Effective Is It?
Teacher Education Quarterly, Summer 2004.
INTRODUCTION: Dialogue journals, which involve teachers and students writing and exchanging their writing in mutual response, are often cited as a powerful tool for promoting reflection in teacher education. According to Bean and Zulich (1989), dialogue journal writing is a good way to model the process of reflective practice for preservice teachers. Porter, Goldstein, Leatherman and Conrad (1990) have specifically outlined several benefits of using dialogue journals in teacher preparation courses. For instance, dialogue journals help students in specific areas where they have difficulty, promote autonomous learning, enhance confidence, help students make connections between course content and teaching, create interaction beyond the classroom, and make the class more processoriented (Porter et al., 1990).
