ABSTRACT
This chapter is a teacher educator’s account of her study of her own teaching through critical reflection and action research. Personal data were supplemented by the reflections of those she was teaching-pre-service candidates who were expected to demonstrate critical reflection. I examined my motives, as well as the pedagogical issues I have faced, in using cases to teach pre-service candidates about teaching exceptional learners in their classrooms. My reflections showed that I had many starting points for the research. In addition to focusing more class discussion on critical reflection, I asked students to analyze complex dilemmas and bring case notes to class. To increase my awareness of student concerns, I instituted periodic meetings of a Student Advisory Committee (SAC). I listened in SAC, responded to student concerns, and reported in subsequent classes the responsive actions I had taken. Students led the case discussions in many classes, and some questioned our assumptions and critiqued our analyses. I found contradictions among the teaching actions I took, even when the actions seemed consistent with experience, my reading, and each other before enactment. Action research reveals ongoing agendas for teachers who are students of teaching. Case-based learning ventures a response to the critics who argue that teacher education undermines developing teachers who are criticality reflective in their work.
