Reflective teaching as a practical approach (original) (raw)
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Reflective Teaching: A Concept Re-considered and Teachers’ Professional Development
Reflective teaching goes through an analytical process of self-observation and self-evaluation. Self-reflection can be one of the effective means of finding out one’s strengths and drawbacks in respect of teachers’ professional development. Teacher education has directly or indirectly been connected to the reflective teaching practice. Capturing the actual picture of language teaching directly or indirectly leads to look at what the teacher does in the classroom. A teacher can collect information and then bring necessary changes to teaching by reflecting upon his/her own teaching practices. But the fact is, the process of reflection should be systematic and carried out by some carefully designed steps. There are some important ways or methods of conducting the process of reflection like peer observation, recording lessons, student feedback. A teacher can invite a colleague to come into the class to collect information about the lesson and to have students’ opinions and perceptions as well. The respective teacher may also record the lessons regularly to have the actual picture of the class. After collecting authentic information the teacher can Think, Talk, Read and Ask while going through some structured steps. Thus this paper will focus on a cyclical process of reflective teaching that once starts and keeps going by implementing changes. Reflections might go on continuously by posing different rhetoric questions like, What I am doing? Why I am doing? Is the teaching method effective? What are the problems? and What could be the solutions?. This is how the teacher’s professional development is related to the evaluative cycle of reflective teaching. This paper, therefore, attempts to discuss the findings of a study that investigated the role that reflective teaching can play in effective English language teaching contexts and in the field of teachers’ professional development. Most importantly this paper offers recommendations by suggesting a well-designed procedure for reflective teaching in ESL/EFL classroom.
Reflective teaching and its impact on foreign language teaching
Actualidades Investigativas en Educación, 2005
To reflect is to look back over what has been done so as to extract the net meanings, which are the capital stock for intelligent dealing with further experiences. It is the heart of intellectual organization and of the disciplined mind. [John Dewey] Abstract: This article deals with the impact of reflective teaching on the ESL/EFL field. Reflective thinking is seen as key on the road to professional growth. There is a need to reflect on our actions and classroom practices in the foreign language teaching in order to bridge the gap between theory and practice. A model is suggested as to how a teacher's practice in the classroom can be improved through reflective teaching and action research.
A critical reflection on reflective teaching: The food for thought for teacher education
Reflective teaching as the self-inquiry and evaluation of teacher performance has turned to be a buzzword in language teaching. In spite of the fact that theoretical foundations and perspectives of reflective teaching have been sufficiently investigated, some practical considerations, such as the role of the language teacher and learnersùnique personalities, as well as socio-cultural effects, have received scant attention in the literature. This paper is an attempt to study those issues and the conditions required to pave the way for better understanding and applying reflective teaching so that it can lead to more practical changes in the teaching process.
Exploring Reflective Teaching Classroom Practices in English Language Teaching
The term English Language Teaching (ELT) brings the notion of a formal instructional system which includes classrooms, teachers, learners, syllabi, examinations, etc.Teaching is a learning experience for the teacher as well as the learners. An important skill of a teacher is the ability to observe behaviour or to reflect in a learning environment. Reflective teaching is a personal tool that teachers can use to observe and evaluate the way they teach in their classroom. When a teacher reflects, they increase their knowledge of the subject and methods to observe meaningful patterns of classroom activity contributing in their overall professional development. Thispaper investigates the reflective teaching classroom practices and its implications in an English language classroom.Keywords
EuroAmerican Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages, 2016
EN This book presents a combination of practical suggestions, the latest research findings, and an abundance of case studies concerning reflective language teaching. Moreover, each of the 14 chapters in the volume develops and discusses various aspects of reflective language teaching, providing a well-rounded and comprehensive view of the topic. The first seven chapters illustrate what reflective language teaching entails by means of a number of useful techniques that can be profitably adopted to enhance an individual teacher's self-awareness and to improve his or her teaching practice. The remaining chapters discuss reflective language teaching as an effective tool that can be adopted at an institution-wide level in an effort to guarantee overall improvement in teaching practices, which include monitoring one's teaching style, sharing ideas on critical classroom events and issues, being informed about the latest teaching techniques, and overcoming a sense of isolation.
Reflective Teaching and Language Teacher Education Programmes: A Milestone in Yemen and Saudi Arabia
Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2014
A language teacher faces constantly diverse classroom situations; he tries to adopt appropriate theory of learning, approach, technology, and tools and aids to create understanding in context. In doing so, he draws upon his experience and peer-experience to resolve problems and issues through the process of reflection. He takes help of research results, and does research work, sources specialist literature or undergoes need-based trainingnot once but repeatedly to develop competence to cope with classroom situations and remove social or psychological barriers, more particularly in the case of second or foreign language teaching. In reflective practice, the teacher summons all his faculties, experiences and appropriate theory to practise in the classroom. A language-teacher observes his students' reactions and reflects on the results after responding to such learning behaviour of the students. Following the reflection, the teacher decides to adapt or modify the theory chosen earlier. A classroom is like a laboratory where a teacher relates teaching theory to teaching practice and observes the students' responses. This paper is an attempt to give focus to the importance of reflective teaching in general with special reference to Language Teacher Education Programmes in Yemen and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as check the teachers' awareness of reflective teaching. 50 teachers of English from both the countries were surveyed and interviewed for the purpose. Index Terms-reflective teaching, language teacher education, peer teaching/interaction, ICT tools, classroom problems, teacher-training I. INTRODUCTION Reflection means, to majority of the authorities/educationists, an active, persistent and careful consideration of beliefs or supposed form of knowledge. Language teaching is more than a subject; it is complex of traditions, culture, practices and, to a great extent, communication. Language can best be taught in situations and a social setting. Reflective teaching is the driving force to innovate for better learning solutions on the part of teachers. Modern generation is tech-savvy and open-minded, apart from being fully aware of rights as human beings and behaviorally interactive; the students do no longer form a dumb classinteraction and higher expectation from the teaching community is basic to education in a classroom setting, almost in all countries. A teacher has to be updated and communicative and given to openness-encouraging students to ask questions or raise queries to clear doubts. The following studies amply support this view: John Dewey"s research studies inspired at least four perspectives on "Reflection": (a) whether reflection refers to thinking about action or whether it also implies action (Gore & Zeichner, 1995); (b) whether reflection is relatively immediate and short-term, or an ongoing process that lasts for some time; (c) whether reflection is innately problem-centred or not. Calderhead (1989) and Schon (1987) are of the view that a problem represents lack of connection, missing life experience or meaning that must be addressed, supplied, and remediedthat reflection is analytical and seeks to form connections between known and new knowledge); (d) whether reflection is a process of "critical reflection" and is concerned with conscious inclusion in reflection of historical, cultural and political values and beliefs, in order to find solutions for practical problems. Reflection as a process has been given varied descriptions. Dewey has described a logical reflective process as beginning with a perceived conflict, defined by the parameters and context of a situation. Interpretations and inferences are made concerning the interacting variables, followed by a thorough analysis of all options in order to assign meaning to the situation. The final result is that a decision is made, and a solution and a plan of action follow. It thus, logically follows from the above-mentioned abstract thought that reflection is the essence of education. A reflective teacher considers the variables in the contexts, talks to the self (engages in intra-personal communication), considers the classroom situation, again in context, and discusses the problem or his doubts about adopting a new
Reflective Teaching Practices of English Language Teachers: A Critical Review
This study has been meticulously designed to portray English language teachers’ reflective practice which is known as a strong pillar of continuing professional development. To that end, full-length research articles published between 2009 and 2019 in esteemed journals across the globe in the discipline of foreign language studies were identified and incorporated into the analysis according to eligibility criteria. This review revealed the current trends in reflective practice by generating themes. Hence, content analysis method was utilized. Finally, it was discovered that studies majorly handled reflective practices of in-service teachers through qualitative methods rather than discussing the cases of prospective teachers as research group. Moreover, findings of this analysis would indicate that ‘raising awareness towards teacher education through reflective practice’ was the most researched aspect of reflective teaching, and strong liaisons must be maintained between pre-service and in-service teacher education. This principled review also offered some suggestions for further directions.
Reflective Practices of English Teachers
International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences
Reflective teachers are effective teachers. With this notion, teachers have to practice reflective teaching inside their classes to emphasize that they are effective teachers. Since teachers' practices are not always expected to be reflective, this study discovered the junior high school English teachers' reflective teaching practices. It further investigated their reflective teaching practices through the help of their principals and students. This study is quantitative in nature. The findings revealed the English teachers' level of reflection, and their teaching practices. In-service English teachers need to undergo self-reflection to know more of themselves as teachers and to base modifications of classroom procedures. The school administration may conduct in-service training on reflective teaching practices since these in-service English teachers do not have any seminar-workshops on reflective teaching to develop themselves in their reflective teaching practices. Keywords-reflective teaching, teaching practices, inservice teachers, students, principals, quantitative study. I. INTRODUCTION The Philippines is part of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This organization structured National Education for All (EFA) to accomplish the predetermined goals. One of the goals is to improve all aspects in quality education and ensure excellence so that learning outcomes are achieved by all specifically literacy, numeracy and essential life skills.Due to the country's unmet targets, Philippine EFA 2015 produces a National Plan of Action. In order to attain the sixth goal which is to achieve quality teaching, teachers have to promote practice of high quality teaching (