Reflective practice

Abstract

This chapter focuses primarily on the specific orientations, purposes, practices, and systems those pursuing reflective teacher education might or even must incorporate into the program to be consistent with the relevant notions. In the first part of this chapter, the authors revisit foundational ideas of reflection and reflective practice from John Dewey, Donald Schön, Paolo Freire, Maxine Greene, and Marilyn Cochran-Smith and Susan Lytle. In each case they look at how reflection is understood, its role in education, and its implications for teacher education. Then they move on to describe contemporary conceptualizations and models of practice of reflection at three, nested levels: reflection in students’ learning, (descriptive feedback, knowledge building, and Knowledge Forum), reflection in teachers’ learning, (core reflection, descriptive inquiry, and action research); and reflection in the learning of teacher educators, (self-study). They conclude by claiming that reflection is not a matter of adding something new and externally derived, but rather of transforming what educators are already doing, first and foremost by becoming more aware of themselves, others, and the world within which they live, together.