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Current Disconnect from Perceived Reflection and True Reflection in the ClassroomSoTL AcademyMay 2015Vince Laverick
Byproduct of dissertation
▪ Pre-survey of teachers with teacher candidates
▪ Post survey
▪ Interviews
Operating Definition of Reflection
▪ Four key components, based on Dewey’s theory:– Meaning making process– Systematic method of thinking rooted in scientific
inquiry– Occurs in community with others– Requires individuals to value growth in themselves and
others▪ (Rodgers, 2002)
Results from Survey 1
▪ Median results –Reflection time 2-5 minutes–Reflect 1-3 times per day
Comments
▪ “Reflection is looking back at your lesson/unit and deciding what went well and what could use more work for improvement.”
▪ “Reviewing, compiling and examining previous attempts to discover what could or should be changed to further improve.”
Survey #2
▪ Median results–Reflection time of 6-10 minutes–1-3 reflective periods per day
Comments in Survey 2
▪ “I think about what went well, what can I do better, & what questions were asked that I need to address in the future.”
▪ “Did my lesson work. Is it going to help students understand the content.”
Analysis of surveys
▪ Limited time on reflection to properly achieve 4 elements of Rodgers’ theory on reflection
▪ No mention of scientific inquiry
▪ No mention of collaboration with others
Interviews
▪ “I definitely reflect on … the lesson delivery to find out if it was successful. When I look at kids results when I formative [sic] assess them, what did I do well and what can I improve.”
▪ “So always trying to look back. What could you do better, what went well, and what do I need to make notes for next year so hopefully that next year’s lesson you can knock it out of the ball park.”
Analysis of interview comments
▪ Begin to see more detailed view of reflection of teachers– Meaning making process– Some scientific inquiry: data
▪ Formative assessment used– No collaboration mentioned– Clear interest in their own growth as educator
▪ Repeated inhibitor to reflection was time
Not much different than higher education
▪ Committee work
▪ Teaching
▪ Scholarship
▪ Instructors once conversed over lunch with colleagues and now eat lunch at desk (Foster, 2000)
▪ Not much time for true reflection
Other organizational issues
▪ Senior faculty see no need to help new hires develop teaching as new faculty were hired because they were good teachers and scholars.
▪ Typically set-up as a program for new hires who are partnered with senior faculty (Holmgren, 2005)
Lack of collaboration is lost opportunity
▪ Collaboration increases student achievement (Hargreaves & Shirley, 2012)
▪ Increases positive pedagogical changes (Pella, 2012; Holmgrem, 2005)
▪ Leads to teacher improvement (Richardson, Kalvaitis, & Delparte, 2014)
Call to action
▪Seems to be a great opportunity▪Growth as educator and benefit for
students
Circling back
– Meaning making process– Systematic method of thinking rooted in scientific inquiry
▪ Seems to be done informally and formally– Occurs in community with others
▪ Programs set up at many institutions to facilitate▪ Do we need programs to make this work?
– Requires individuals to value growth in themselves and others▪ Trust▪ Have to get past fear of being criticized and critiqued– We have to acknowledge our deficiencies to encounter growth
Works Cited
▪ Foster, S. (2000). Teaching Partners program: Analysis of first interviews. [Unpublished report].
▪ Hargreaves, A., & Shirley, D. (2012). The global fourth way: The quest for educational excellence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
▪ Holmgren, R.A. (2005) Teaching partners: Improving teaching and learning by cultivating a community of practice. In Chadwick-Blossey, S. & Robertson, D. R.(Eds.), To improve the academy: Resources for faculty, instructional, and organizational development, 23. (pp. 211-219). Bolton, MA: Anker.
▪ Pella, S. (2012). What should count as data for data-driven instruction? Toward contextualized data-inquiry models for teacher education and professional development. Middle Grades Research Journal, 7(1), 57–75.
▪ Richardson, R., Kalvaitis, D., & Delparte, D (2014). Using systematic feedback and reflection to improve adventure education teaching skills. Journal of Experiential Education, 37(2), 187-206.
▪ Rodgers, C. (2002). Defining reflection: Another look at John Dewey and reflective thinking. Teachers College Record, 104(4), 842-866.
