#39: Bridging the Gap: Using Structured Reflection to Connect Teaching Practice and the Science of Learning

Teacher education programs often struggle to connect instructional practice with research-based explanations of how learning works. Teacher candidates frequently focus on mastering classroom routines without developing a clear understanding of how those routines influence student learning. At the same time, research from the science of learning is often presented in abstract forms that teachers find difficult to apply in practice. This paper describes a structured reflective framework, DIGPA (Description, Interpretation, Generalization, Planning Action), developed within English language teacher education and later applied in other instructional contexts. We argue that structured reflection can serve as a practical mechanism for connecting instructional practice to research-based explanations of learning within Practice-Based Teacher Education (PBTE).