Reflective
practice is a learning process taught to professionals from a variety of
disciplines, with the aim of enhancing abilities to communicate and making
informed and balanced decisions. The concept of reflective practice is now
widely employed in the field of teacher education and teacher professional
development and is the basis for many programmes of initial teacher education.
In education, reflective practice refers to the process of the educator studying his or her own teaching methods and determining what works best for the students. It involves the consideration of the ethical consequences of classroom procedures on students. Education professor Hope Hartman has described reflective practice in education as teacher metacognition.
In education, reflective practice refers to the process of the educator studying his or her own teaching methods and determining what works best for the students. It involves the consideration of the ethical consequences of classroom procedures on students. Education professor Hope Hartman has described reflective practice in education as teacher metacognition.
There is
broad consensus that teaching effectively requires a reflective approach.
However, reflective practice "is a term that carries diverse meaning"
and about which there is not complete consensus. Teaching and learning are
complex, and there is not one right approach. Reflecting on different
approaches to teaching, and reshaping the understanding of past and current
experiences, will lead to improvement in teaching practices. Schön's
reflection-in-action can help teachers explicitly incorporate into their
decision-making the professional knowledge that they gain from their experience
in the classroom.
According to
physiotherapists Colin Paterson and Judith Chapman, reflection or learning from
experience is key to staying accountable, and maintaining and developing
aptitude throughout a teacher's practice. Without reflection, teachers are not
able to look objectively at their actions or take into account the emotions,
experience, or consequences of actions to improve their practice. Through the
process of reflection, teachers are held accountable to the standards of
practice for teaching. Reflective teaching will lead to commitment to students
and student learning, professional knowledge, professional practice, leadership
in learning communities, and ongoing professional learning.
The concept of the design and repetitive structure of design processes help in reflection. Through
reflective practice, teachers are looking back on their practice and reflecting
on how they have supported students through treating them "equitably and
with respect and are sensitive to factors that influence individual student
learning". By doing this, teachers are asking themselves: "Have I to
the best of my abilities supported student learning, and provided all of my
students with an entry point into learning?" Through reflection, and
sharing their reflection, teachers show strong leadership because they show
that they are willing to learn from their mistakes and improve their practice
for everyone affected by it.
As professor
of education Barbara Larrivee argues, reflective practice moves teachers from
their knowledge base of distinct skills to a stage in their careers where they
are able to modify their skills to suit specific contexts and situations, and
eventually to invent new strategies. In implementing a process of reflective
practice teachers will be able to move themselves, and their schools, beyond
existing theories in practice. Larrivee concludes that teachers should
"resist establishing a classroom culture of control and become a
reflective practitioner, continuously engaging in a critical reflection,
consequently remaining fluid in the dynamic environment of the classroom".
Video
recordings of classroom activities have been used in reflective practice. This example was shown in Shaping the Way We Teach. Also writing blog entries and writing journals are really helpful.
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