assesing reflective thinking
TRANSCRIPT
It is more important to make teachers thoughtful and alert students of education than it is to help them
get immediate proficiency.
-Dewey, 1933
• Little has been done to systematically assess reflective thinking.
The process cannot be observed
Agreement on a definition of it has not been asserted (Hattan, 1994).
• In fact, there have been some researchers followed preservice teachers into their professional careers to continue monitoring reflective growth.
▫ Zeicher & Liston (1987)
▫ Kirby & Teddlie (1989)
▫ Cruickshank (1985)
▫ Ross (1991)
• Evaluative efforts have often been qualitative in nature, studying the impact of reflective thinking at the preservice level.
• Qualitative research allows the researchers to view development of reflection in context.
• The use of preservice teachers provides a manageable population in size and setting.
• In 1991, Sparks- Langer, provide three orientations to reflective thinking of practitioners;
▫ Cognitive Approach
▫ Critical Approach
▫ Narrative Approach
• Cognitive approach focuses decision making based on information gathering and processing.
• Critical approach emphasizes problem framing using ethical and moral reasoning.
• Narrative approach uses personal narratives, naturalistic inquiry, case studies and action research to focus on circumstances under which decision making takes place.
• In 1995, Hattan and Smith focused on individual writings to assess reflective process.
• Four writing styles and defining criteria were developed and tested.
▫ Descriptive writing
▫ Descriptive reflection
▫ Dialogic reflection
▫ Critical reflection
• Descriptive writing was not considered as a reflection. It was a mere description of event without commenting.
• Descriptive reflection included justification in addition to description, often based on experience.
• Dialogic reflection was written in third person with judgements, reasoning and multiple perspectives.
• Critical reflection had the individual responding to episodes by relation to influences of multiple historical and socio-political contexts.
The Reflective Thinking Pyramid
The Technical Level
• At technical level, knowledge is derived from human experience as well as pedagogy, content and methodology of education.
• Practitioners bring to the educational experience past histories, content knowledge and skills to meet set outcomes and make simple rationale observations.
• At technical level, practitioners;
▫ make simple descriptions of observations
▫ focus on behaviours, content and skills from past experience or theory derived from readings or course work, without looking for alternatives
▫ are task oriented, viewing teaching competency as meeting a set of objectives
▫ use appropriate educational vocabulary to correspond with current skill and pedagogy level
The Contextual Level
• Practitioners reflecting at this level have progressed to a comfort level evidenced by willingness to look for alternative approaches that best fit the needs of the students and context of situation.
• At the contextual level, practitioners;
▫ reflect on practices as they affect students’ learning
▫ reflect on decisions relative to the context of the situation
▫ relate theory to practice
▫ focus on action
▫ look for alternatives to practice based on knowledge and personal values
▫ analyze, clarify and validate practices
The Dialectical Level
• At this level teachers have progressed to an autonomous state evidenced by disciplined inquiry, reflection-in-action, self-actualization and an open-mindedness that allow them to address moral, ethical and socio-political issues in teaching.
• Teachers at this level;
▫ systematically question practices
▫ suggest alternatives and competing theories
▫ reflect on decisions and consequences during the course of action
▫ bring moral, ethical and socio-political issues to bear on educational practices
▫ express themselves verbally with efficacy and self-confidence.
Recommended questionnaire
• To explore your current level of reflective thinking, you can use the questionnaire on page 39- 40 (Taggart & Wilson).
Task Time
Attribute Cards
&
Category Cards
Thanks for listening !