Reflective writing in mathematics education programmes

Negative attitudes towards mathematics are common in pre-service teachers, and opportunities need to be provided which may lead to achieving a more positive approach to mathematics. Studies have demonstrated that an effective technique for reducing negative attitudes towards mathematics in pre-service teachers is to engage in a process of writing reflections through journals and autobiographies. Autobiographical writing and journalling can be used as reflective thinking tools. They enable the exploration of behaviours and attitudes. Research indicates that pre-service teachers are likely to teach as they were taught, and their own learning experiences are central to their professional work. Enabling pre-service teachers to explore their own stories may therefore be important to their long-term professional development. Writing samples collected from pre-service teachers illustrate the potential of reflective writing tasks for personal and professional growth. Biographies, journals and autobiographies were shown to be transformative for both the writer and reader.