Faculty of Education - Theses

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Subject: Students × Type: Masters Research thesis × Author: Johnson, Rachel Ann ×

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    Adopting portfolios: a tool for ongoing explicit collaborative reflective learning and teaching
    Johnson, Rachel Ann ( 2000)
    This thesis explores, analyses and evaluates the use of portfolios in improving learning through enhanced reflection and, in particular, improving students' responsibility for, and control of their learning through explicit discussion and reflection. The researcher has critically reviewed the research literature relevant to the area. Many conference papers, journal articles and books relating to portfolio assessment have been critically viewed and various issues noted. Whilst experiencing the process of reading, examining, reviewing and reflecting, the researcher's goal was to cultivate some of the issues and questions underpinning this research study. The research study involved a group of six middle primary students who had varying capabilities and knowledge of portfolios. A comprehensive case study was chosen primarily because of the indepth descriptive and qualitative methodological nature of the information needed from students, parents and the teacher. There was a need to understand and explain the meaning of social phenomena with as little disruption to the natural setting as possible. This study examines what portfolios are and how they can be used to link children and teachers with different ways of knowing and thinking. For students, the emphasis was on the potential learning power of them becoming more reflective; and for teachers the emphasis was on informing them of the effectiveness of the arrangements they are making to support student learning. The study employed observation, discussion and interviews to investigate student and teacher reflective practices as the students used portfolios over a duration of six months. In addition to this, parent observation and comments regarding the impact of portfolios on their children's ability to reflectively discuss their learning were obtained through the use of a structured questionnaire. Final analysis of the data provided understandings of the nature of the portfolio process by revealing a number of significant findings upon which effective teaching and learning was dependent. It demonstrated how measures to increase student self-reflection and assessment takes time and effort by all stakeholders. Of specific interest was the nature of the relationship between the stakeholders as revealed through discussion of the findings.