Reflection on action: peer micro-teaching process of prospective EFL teachers and class teachers focusing on mother tongue teaching

Teaching experience plays a productive role in teacher professional development, so it is necessary to examine such experience systematically, either as reflection on action or reflection in action. In a sense, reflection has the power to help the teacher connect experience and theoretical knowledge and to use each area of expertise more efficiently (Knezevic and Scholl 1996). Therefore, reflection is an important ‘tool’ to articulate how we know what we do when we teach (ibid.). For this reason, micro-teaching is an opportunity to link theory and practice, critically evaluate one’s teaching skills and to discuss alternative approaches and solutions for the specific teaching context with peer colleagues. This paper will focus, firstly, on the micro-teaching process by explaining the background of this procedure and then by giving the detailed description of the two micro-teaching sessions conducted in January and February 2020 at the Faculty of Education in Jagodina, University of Kragujevac, Serbia. Secondly, it will consider giving feedback to others, in person and online, using video records, self-evaluation and reflection in peer-teaching process. Finally, the paper will evaluate two peer micro-teaching sessions with a focus on student-student, interaction in university teaching context and advantages and disadvantages in teaching English as a foreign language on one side, and Serbian as the mother tongue on the other.

Marxist-inflected praxis in Paulo Freire's political pedagogy

This paper discusses and explains Freire's Marxist-inflected concept of praxis as developed throughout his oeuvre. A key feature, deriving from Marx and others, notably Gramsci, is the positing of a dialectical relationship between consciousness and the world. This is at the heart of his celebrated pedagogical approach. Praxis dates back to the time of the ancient Greek ‘civilisation’ Aristotle in primis. It involves an intellectual effort, a reflection on one’s individual and collective lifeworld. These are the reflecting on action processes that can ultimately collectively lead to political change. Praxis lies at the heart of Marxian and Gramscian political thought and strategy. It is the kernel of Paulo Freire's pedagogical politics; it differs from simply practice. This pedagogical politics involves the codification of this reflection on action into theory. It, in turn, entails evaluating relevant theory against the very reflection on everyday action. The world of action is life itself with all its dimensions, including community living and work, but extends well beyond.

Self-confrontation: a gateway towards the understanding of english teachers’ pedagogical practice

This reflection article shows preliminary advances of a hermeneutic phenomenological research study which followed the instrumental case study methodology within a qualitative approach. The participants were four in-service English teachers from three public schools, and one concession school in Bogotá, Colombia. Nevertheless, this article only includes data obtained from one of the participants (M1). The purpose of the current study was to unveil what knowledges emerged from the reflection on action of the participants’ practices through self-confrontation. Data gathering instruments included a semi-structured and a focus group interviews, self-confrontation video recording transcripts and field notes. The thematic analysis was used to interpret data. The initial findings from M1 evinced that she reflected on her practices by relying on her empirical, experiential, and reflective knowledge.

Berufsspezifische Reflexionsprozesse durch Einzelfallarbeit im Projekt „Schule für alle": Analyse von zwei Praxisberichten mittels der Dokumentarischen Methode

In dem Beitrag wird ausgehend von der Notwendigkeit einer inklusionspädagogischen Professionalisierung im Lehramtsstudium ein erziehungswissenschaftliches Projekt dargestellt, das es den teilnehmenden Bachelor-Studierenden in besonderer Weise ermöglicht, berufsspezifische Reflexionsprozesse zu durchlaufen. In dem Projekt übernehmen Studierende die einjährige pädagogische Förderung von Grundschulkindern mit bildungsrelevanten Benachteiligungsfaktoren, die häufig von Selektionspraktiken und -maßnahmen bedroht sind. Die Bearbeitung von vorliegenden Common-Sense-Theorien im inklusiven Kontext gilt dabei als ein relevantes Professionalisierungsziel in der Lehramtsausbildung. Konkret werden Ausschnitte aus Praktikumsberichten von zwei Studierenden mittels der dokumentarischen Methode ausgewertet und einander gegenübergestellt, um daran herauszuarbeiten, inwiefern sich die Reflexionen unterscheiden. Es zeigt sich anhand der Analysen, dass im Rahmen der Praxisphase eine Reflection-on-Action und auch die vertiefte Reflexion eigener Common-Sense-Theorien grundsätzlich möglich, jedoch nicht voraussetzungslos ist. Insbesondere kann auch anhand der gewählten Einzelfälle verdeutlicht werden, wie individuell inklusionsbezogene Professionalisierungsprozesse im Rahmen der vorliegenden Praxisphase verlaufen können. Die Analyse offenbart multiple Professionalisierungschancen in Abhängigkeit von den Rahmenbedingungen des Projekts, den individuellen Schwerpunkten der pädagogischen Arbeit oder den individuellen Reflexionen der Studierenden. Abstract Based on the necessity of an inclusive pedagogical professionalisation in the teacher training program, this article presents an educational science project that enables the participating Bachelor students in a unique manner to go through profession-specific reflection processes. In the project, students take on the one-year pedagogical support of primary school children with educational disadvantage factors, who are often threatened by selection practices and measures. In this context, working through present common-sense theories in an inclusive context is considered a relevant professionalization goal in teacher education. Specifically, excerpts from internship reports of two students are analysed by means of the documentary method and compared to each other in order to work out the extent to which the reflections differ. The analyses show that reflection-on-action and in-depth reflection on one's own common-sense theories are generally possible during the practical phase, but not without preconditions. In particular, the selected individual cases can be used to illustrate how individual inclusion-related professionalisation processes can take place within the framework of the present practical phase. The analysis reveals multiple opportunities for professionalisation depending on the general framework of the project, the individual focal points of the pedagogical work or the individual reflections of the students.

Reflective Practice in Times of Covid-19: A Tool to Improve Education for Sustainable Development in Pre-Service Teacher Training

Crisis situations such as the current Covid-19 pandemic are a catalyst for change. This study stresses the need to work towards achieving quality education, and to prepare future teachers in sustainability competencies. The research questions are related to the key competencies necessary to accelerate change and to how to increase awareness and literacy of the SDGs in higher education. A quantitative methodology aimed at improving the training of future teachers who engage in reflective and critical thinking was used. Data were gathered on the level of reflection of students from three Spanish universities. The instrument used, the Reflective Practice Questionnaire, includes concepts defined in the literature related to reflective capacity such as Reflection in Action, Reflection on Action and Reflection with Others. The results of the study provide quantitative data showing a positive impact of reflective practice on future teachers. Education for sustainable development requires participatory methods that motivate and empower students to change their behaviour. Reflective practice must be accompanied by processes of communication and supervision that encourage confidence and the desire to improve. Training future teachers in reflective practice should be a differentiating element to achieve quality education, allowing adaptation to current and future adverse situations.

Faculty as reflective practitioners in emergency online teaching: an autoethnography

This study aimed to chronicle and understand the emergency online teaching experience of five faculty members in a liberal arts college located in Tokyo, Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, adopting the autoethnographic method. It explored the nature and dimensions of problems the faculty members faced, resources used to make sense of problems encountered, and actions they took to solve the problems as reflective practitioners in emergency online teaching. It also examined differences between faculty members over time. Analysis of seven weeks of autobiographic reflective journals during a 10-week academic term revealed that the faculty members encountered a range of problems during the classes, especially student-related and technology-related issues. When encountering problems, faculty members utilized references such as their past experience in face-to-face classroom teaching. Faculty members with more online teaching experience were more adaptable and flexible in mobilizing other references to solve problems. Overall, all members worked as reflective learners and practitioners who continued to reflect on the problems they faced and find solutions. These findings suggest that engaging in reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action can be effective ways for faculty members to develop their competencies to solve problems in emergency online teaching situations when responding to unprecedented challenges and issues is continuously needed.

THE ENGAGE MODEL: A FACILITATOR’S FRAMEWORK FOR LEARNER ENGAGEMENT

Teachers, as facilitators of learning, are constantly soul searching, looking for sound transaction styles that are known to raise teacher efficiency. Making classrooms spaces that are joyful, learner-centric and engaging requires enormous portions of ingenuity on the part of a teacher. ‘Learning-by-Doing’ is a psychologically robust way of learning. It not only etches lasting memory but also makes the process of learning a meaningful experience. Self-learning within groups instils lessons on collaborative and social discipline and thus prepares the learner to face adversity in preparation for life. An effective curriculum should provide for multiple intelligences to fruition, thus raising correlation between subjects, providing scope for every student to engage in the act of discovery. Unplugged education, outdoors education, learning through engagement are all hands-on strategies that are novel and significant in holding attention levels in an era that is overwhelmed by technology and digitisation. The ‘STEAM Curriculum’ holds great relevance in contemporary education and it stems from learning engagements advocated by this model, permitting multidisciplinary correlation and reflection on action. This paper provides the framework of a lesson that is transacted hands-on through inquiry and reflection. It provides a prospective teacher of this model with the syntax and the pathway of deliberation. This is a general prototype that bears a multidisciplinary essence and thus can be extrapolated in varied situations, levels and academic disciplines of learning. KEYWORDS: Discovery Method, ENGAGE Model, Experiential Learning, Pragmatism, STEAM curriculum

The Reflective Process

The term “reflection” is often used informally with different meanings. This chapter lays out the core components of the reflective process that can be used as a tool for professional identity formation and lifelong learning and why and how reflection ought to be incorporated into daily practice. Reflective practice in healthcare education is an emerging topic with a substantial theoretical basis. Various theoretical frameworks of reflection are introduced, such as Schon’s concepts of reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action and Brookfield’s concept of critical reflection. These are used to question hegemonic assumptions in the field. Practical models for the reflective process are presented, including the Gibbs framework and the Kolb’s cycle of experiential learning. Team reflection supports bases for continued learning, problem-solving, improved patient outcome, and quality improvement initiatives. Narrative medicine focuses on treating patients as individuals with their own unique stories, and reflective writing is an important part of developing narrative competency.

Unpacking Reflective Practice in the Praxis of English Language Teaching in Indonesia

This paper portrays the ways Indonesian English Language Teaching (ELT) practitioners review and reflect on their practice, seek to expand new ideas and techniques they can apply in their classrooms. This study aims to enhance our understanding of what it is actually that Indonesian ELT practitioners are doing, understanding, and what they are trying to achieve in their classroom activities. This study investigates explanative answers to a single research question: In what ways are Indonesian ELT practitioners reflective in their classroom practice? This study conducted at secondary schools and universities uses a qualitative approach, utilizing observation, interviews, and documents as data collection methods, and content analysis as a means of data analysis. This research involved four participants selected purposively and voluntarily. Its findings, analysis, and interpretation are presented descriptively. The major finding of this study suggests that Indonesian ELT practitioners are reflective in three ways: being reflective within the process of their teaching, known as “reflection-in-action, being reflective in their post-teaching referred to as “reflection-on-action, ” and being reflective in their future improvement planning known as “reflection-for-action.” The practitioners’ reflexivity aims to improve the quality of their teaching, which can potentially affect the quality of their students’ learning. Thus, arguably Indonesian ELT practitioners have performed the praxis in their language teaching through reflective practice.