Benefits of Autoethnography Across the Teaching Career Span: An Argument for Inclusion

Abstract

Developing the capacity for self-reflection is a central component of continual teacher growth. Practices such as journaling help educators rapidly improve by enabling them to identify challenges in lesson planning, assessment, behavior management, and classroom culture. Autoethnography, a research method that integrates reflective journal entries with existing scholarship, offers a structured approach for deepening this self-reflective work. Introducing autoethnographic practices to both future and current educators can therefore cultivate stronger reflective habits across all stages of a teaching career. For preservice teachers, engaging in autoethnography encourages them to connect their emerging classroom observations with established research, promoting evidence-based decision-making early in their professional development. These reflective habits can support long-term success by helping new teachers internalize practices that foster continuous improvement. For teachers in their first years, autoethnography provides a tool for managing the steep learning curve they face as they encounter educational challenges for the first time. Reflective journaling paired with research can offer clarity, reduce overwhelm, and help them make sense of their experiences. Veteran teachers also benefit from autoethnographic practices, as the method can deepen their understanding of complex or evolving issues—such as the growing influence of artificial intelligence in classrooms—by linking ongoing experiences with contemporary scholarship. Finally, teacher educators who use autoethnography themselves gain methodological proficiency, strengthen their own teaching, and develop authentic examples to share with those they mentor. This chapter explores the value of integrating autoethnographic practices into teacher education to support reflective growth at all career stages.