Using Diaries as a Reflective Tool on an English Writing Teacher Training Course

Using Diaries as a Reflective Tool on an English Writing Teacher Training Course

This study describes a small-scale investigation conducted with a group of foreign language teachers during a two-week teacher training course where the focus was on teaching writing. It sets its aim as the investigation of the effects of using diary-keeping as a tool to help the trainees reflect on the experience of a training course. The diary entries the trainees kept were collected and analyzed in relation to the dual role as adult learners and teachers-in-training. Within this research framework, it was found that the trainees reflected internally on their own writing processes. They could identify their own problem areas in writing and come up with some possible solutions. It was also found that the trainees reflected externally on the learning processes of their pupils. The analysis of the diary entries also showed that the trainees reflected issues concerning the top-down approach to making educational policies. From the findings it is suggested that diaries can be used as a valuable tool in encouraging language teachers to reflect on language learning and teaching processes as a part of a teacher training course.