‘Even if No-One Looked at it, it was Important for My Own Development’: Pre-Service Teacher Perceptions of Professional Portfolios

Abstract

This study was conducted with 15 pre-service teachers enrolled in the Reflective Practice Seminar in primary/junior division at a Canadian university. Data were gathered through interviews, informal classroom conversations and reflections over an eight-month period. This article considers the issue of how constructing a professional portfolio helps pre-service teachers examine their identity as learners. The findings highlight their perceptions around purpose, process and impact. Despite the overwhelming nature of reflection, pre-service teachers in this study said that constructing a professional portfolio challenged them to cyclically reflect on taken-for-granted assumptions, articulate growth and gain perspectives. They also recommended that exemplars be provided for improvement as well as increased instructor and peer feedback within the reflective seminar.