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The purpose of this action research project was to explore whether a reflective writing strategy, developed and used with pre-service teachers in a literacy methods course, assisted them with integrating theory and practice. The teacher educator analyzed the written reflective pieces and determined common categories. Study findings revealed some themes: meeting student needs, classroom strategies, field link experiences, personal student experiences, and growth statements. Pre-service teachers explored what their current knowledge was and how it had changed through the time spent reading and writing in the course; imbedded within the reflection pieces were references to practicum experiences with students in classrooms. Through the act of writing their thoughts down, they indicated changes in their individual views about how to approach literacy teaching. Findings reveal that the reflective writing strategy served as an effective starting point for pre-service literacy teachers’ emerging development. Introduction Having an interest in both literacy course content and the practices of literacy teacher educators, as an education professor, I have studied the effectiveness of selected pedagogical strategies I use in courses with pre-service teachers (McIntosh, 2004, 2006). My previous study findings about written response to text, specifically journaling, have brought further questions forward. Believing that the act of writing can be used to foster thinking and generate new ideas and understanding, I wondered about the value of implementing a writing strategy in my literacy course. Would it assist pre-service teachers with engaging more deeply in the course readings, thereby providing greater opportunities for connecting theory and practice in literacy teaching? Currently, my pre-service teachers explore theory through reading assigned course articles; they focus on reading and writing theories, their influence on classroom practices including selecting varied teaching strategies and resources for use with grade 7 -10 students. Particular emphasis is placed on the theory of response to literature, and writing as process. An Online Journal for Teacher Research Networks: Vol. 19, Issue 1 ISSN 2470-6353 Summer 2017 McIntosh 2 Upon reflection, I felt that guiding pre-service teachers as they internalized and applied aspects of literacy teaching in practice required further thought; an inquiry into my own teaching practice was timely. Teacher research would provide the chance to explore the effectiveness of a new approach and its impact on pre-service teachers. I decided to consider how writing could be integrated with reading, thereby providing pre-service teachers with individual opportunities for connecting theory and practice in literacy teaching. If they had a chance to write, as they read course articles, would they more readily transfer this acquired knowledge into practicum and their future classrooms? Creating and implementing a specific “reflective” writing strategy would also address the required standards. Two of the Standards of Practice for the teaching profession in Ontario, Canada are professional knowledge and professional practice (Ontario College of Teachers, 2012). Members should “strive to be current in their professional knowledge and recognize its relationship to practice”; this expectation can be met as they “refine their professional practice through ongoing inquiry, dialogue and reflection” (OCT, p. 13). Pre-service teachers might develop this reflective stance during their literacy course work, if I could modify my past classroom approach; creating a reflective writing strategy was a first step. Responses to assigned professional readings in literacy journals would be the focus for their written pieces. Therefore, this study examines the extent to which preservice teachers can develop and enhance their practical knowledge in the teaching of grades 7-10 literacy by using the reflective writing strategy. Analysis of these written reflections could help me learn about whether pre-service teachers were able to apply their understanding of theory to their practice through the act of writing.

Reflective Written Pieces: Inquiry into the Practices of Pre-service Literacy Teachers