General description of research questions, objectives and theoretical framework

 A blog is a form of diary including a series of updated posts which can contain text, music, images, videos, and are in chronological order (Raynsford, 2003). It becomes possible to track own learning process on the blog (Nedeva & Nedev, 2010; Sun, 2010). Diaries give the opportunity to construct, create, read, write, and collaborate (Good & Whang, 2002). The blog could be individual or collective (Nedeva & Nedev, 2010). An individual blog can be seen as personal diary for only one author for postings and others can only read or comment author’s postings. But collective blog include several authors who all have possibilities to write postings, read or comment others’ postings.

Williams and Jacobs (2004) have claimed that students learn as much from each other than from an instructor or a textbook. The use of blogs have grown over the years (Sifry, 2006) and also itis one kind of social software that is increasingly employed to enhance communication environments in the educational domain (Top, Yukselturk & Inan, 2010). Earlier studies have shown that using the blogs are effective to create a sense of a learning community (Sun, 2010; Yang, 2009) and encourage collaboration and interaction between learners (Churchill, 2009).

Researches have found that reflection is relevant to teachers as professionals (Picard and Ria, 2011) and the motivational factors in deciding to become a teacher are related to teachers’ satisfaction with teaching as career and the extent to which they planned to stay true to their chosen profession (Watt & Richardson, 2008). Sharing ideas in blog enables collaboration and therefore it might be one possibility for reflection (Churchill, 2009; Yang, 2009). Previous studies have investigated that writing the diary organized thinking and encouraged depth of thought (Good & Whang, 2002); blogs encourage reflections (Wheeler & Lambert-Heggs, 2009; Yang, 2009); blogging with support and feedback by the tutor increased use of reflection (Sun, 2010). Collaboration between supervisors, tutors and coursemates influences factors that motivate student teachers and first-year teachers to choose teaching as a career (Sinclair, 2008). These motivational factors include the motives why individuals have chosen teacher as a profession and want to become a teacher, perceptions about teaching and also satisfaction with career choice.

So, based on previous studies it is important to investigate relationships between the characteristics of blog postings and reflection and motivational factors, because blogging can be the one opportunity to contribute student teachers and first-year teachers’ reflection and motivation to become a teacher. Therefore, we may assume that blogging may promote student teachers and first-year teachers’ development during teaching practice and induction year. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to find out the relationships between the changes of student teachers´ and first-year teachers´ self-assessments of reflection and motivational factors for choosing teaching as a career and characteristics of blog postings.

The research questions of this study are following:

1. Which relationships are between the changes of student teachers’ and first-year teachers’ self-assessments of reflection and the characteristics of their blog postings?
2. Which relationships are between the changes of student teachers’ and first-year teachers’ motivational factors for choosing teaching as a career and the characteristics of their blog postings? 

Churchill, D. (2009). Educational applications of Web 2.0: Using blogs to support teaching and learning, British Journal of Educational Technology, 40:1, 179-183. Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Birmingham: SCED. Good, J. M., and Whang, A. P. (2002). Encouraging reflection in preservice teachers through response journals. The Teacher Educator, 37(4), 254–267. Kember, D., Leung, D.Y.P, Jones, A.Y.L., Mckay, J., Sinclair, K., Tse, H., Webb, C., Wong., F.K.Y., Wong, M., & Yeung, E. (2000). Development of a Questionnaire to Measure the Level of Reflective Thinking. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 25 (4), 381-395. Nedeva, V. & Nedev, D. (2010). A New Approach of e-Learning Education Using Blogging. Petroleum - Gas University Of Ploiesti Bulletin, Educational Sciences Series, LXII: 1B, 162-169. Picard, P., and Ria, L. (Eds.). (2011). Beginning teachers: a challenge for educational systems – CIDREE Yearbook 2011. Lyon, France: NS de Lyon, Institut Francais de l`Education. Raynsford, J. (2003) Blogging: the new journalism? Technology and Society, 12(2), 11–21. Sifry, D. (2006). State of the Blogsphere, August, 2006. [http://www.sifry.com/alerts/archives/000436.html] Sinclair, C. (2008). Initial and changing student teacher motivation and commitment to teaching. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 36(2), 79–104. Sobral.D.T. (2001). Medical students’ reflection in learning in relation to approaches to study and academic achievement. Medical Teacher, 23 (5), 508-513. Sun, Y.-C. (2010). Developing reflective cyber communities in the blogosphere: a case study in Taiwan higher education. Teaching in Higher Education. 15 (4), 369-381. Top, E., Yukselturk, E., and Inan, F.A. (2010). Reconsidering usage of blogging in preservice teacher education courses. Internet and Higher Education, 13, 214–217. Watt, H.M.G., & Richardson, P.W. (2007). Motivational factors influencing teaching as a career choice: develompent and validation of the fit-choice scale. The Journal of Experimental Education, 75 (3), 167–202. Watt, H. M. G., & Richardson, P. W. (2008). Motivations, perceptions, and aspirations concerning teaching as a career for different types of beginning teachers. Learning and Instruction, 18(5), 408–428. Wheeler, S., & Lambert-Heggs, W. (2009). Connecting distance learners and their mentors using blog, The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 10:4, 323–331. Williams J. & Jacobs J. (2004) Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology 20, 232–247. Yang, S. H. (2009). Using blogs to enhance critical reflection and community of practice. Educational Technology & Society, 12(2), 11-21.