Validating a quantitative instrument to measure reflective practice in student teachers

Abstract

Reflective practice has become a topic of increasing interest in teacher training and research circles worldwide. However, there is little consensus as to how it should be defined and measured. This paper aims to validate a quantitative instrument in Spanish to measure reflective practice in student teachers. To do so, a scale created by Larrivee to measure reflection was translated and administered to a probability sample of 489 student teachers in Chile. The data analysis portion of the study included both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as a calculation of the scale’s reliability. The resulting scale consists of 20 items grouped into three different dimensions (surface, pedagogical, and critical reflection), with good reliability indicators. This work offers an operational definition of reflective practice, as well as contributes with a tool to measure it. The article concludes by discussing the limitations of and prospects for the validated scale.