Activity 3: Responses to Finlay's (2008) Article

The term “reflective practice” varies depending on the level, individual, organisation and context. Finlay (2008) summarises the term as “the process of learning through and from experience towards gaining new insights of self and/or practice” (p. 1). Reflective practice involves individuals having self-awareness, and being able to critically evaluate their own responses. The purpose of reflective practice is to think critically about experiences in order to develop new understandings so that future practice can be improved upon.

As a teacher, this concept resonates strongly with me. I am constantly reflecting upon my teaching practice and how I can improve upon it, but am I critically reflecting upon my practice?

The New Zealand Registered Teachers Criteria “recognise that teaching is a highly complex activity, drawing on repertoires of knowledge, practices, professional attributes and values to facilitate academic, social and cultural learning for diverse education settings” (2009, p. 1).

This is further broken down into teachers being able to  “use critical inquiry and problem solving effectively in their professional practice” (p. 3). Which means that teachers:

• “Systematically and critically engage with evidence and professional literature to reflect on and refine practice.
• Respond professionally to feedback from members of their learning community.
• Critically examine their own beliefs, including cultural beliefs, and how they impact on their professional practice and the achievement of ākonga (all learners)” (p. 3).

With this in mind, I am able to use critical inquiry and problem solving effectively in my professional practice. Teachers don’t just teach. They are learners themselves, and I would consider myself as a learner, who constantly reflects on my practice and trials new strategies in order to improve the my teaching practice and the success of my students. I believe that as long as I continue to teach, there will always be a place for critical reflection.

Finlay (2008) suggests that there are two forms of reflection:

1. reflection - on - action (thinking about the event after it has occurred)
2. reflection - in - action (thinking during the event).

I agree with Finlay’s opinion about professionals drawing on “both practical experience and theory In the classroom as they think on their feet and improvise” (2008, p. 4). Teachers have a responsibility to be responsive to their students and if something isn’t working, we reflect on our teaching and lessons by modifying them or looking for alternatives. As educators, both types of reflection are crucial in order to achieve successful outcomes for students, regardless of whether you are in your first year or 20th year of teaching.

Zeichner and Liston (1996) (as cited in Finlay, 2008, p. 4) expand further on reflection by identifying 5 levels of reflection that can occur during teaching:

1. rapid reflection (immediate, ongoing and automatic action by the teacher)
2. repair (teacher makes a decision to alter their behaviour in response to students)
3. review (teacher thinks about, discuss or writes about an element of their teaching practice)
4. research (teacher engages in systematic and sustained thinking, collects data or reads research)
5. retheorize and reformulate (teacher critically examines own practice in light of theories)

When I consider Zeichner and Liston’s (1996) work in terms of my own reflection, I actually engage in all 5 levels, however the first 3 levels occur more often due to workload and time pressures. While I am passionate about teaching, at times it can be hard to not let your emotions get in the way. I am constantly striving for self - improvement, and this in itself can be draining, not to mention overwhelming! Teachers need to be aware of what they can and can’t handle, which may mean different levels (and even models) of reflection depending on the situation.

Figure 1. Gibbs Reflective Cycle (The University of Kent, 2012)

Gibbs Reflective Cycle is a reflection model that I would use to think critically about my practice regularly. It is simple, yet provides thought provoking questions that challenge me to think carefully about what I have done well, and what I could do next time in order to improve. This year, I am constantly reflecting with my first digital class. It has been a huge learning curve for myself and my students, and ongoing collaboration, discussions and sharing with my colleagues have helped me to make changes and improvements with my practice.

In my opinion, the idea of reflective practice forms part of the process of lifelong learning. If you don’t question and discuss your practice (particularly with colleagues), how can you critically examine it?

My final thoughts around Finlay’s article are that critical reflection needs to be taught to educators, and regular professional development should be undertaken. As teachers, we should be conducting honest critical reflections in order to benefit ourselves and our teaching practice, the profession and most importantly, our students.

References:

   Finlay, L. (2008). Reflecting on 'Reflective practice'. Practice-based Professional Learning Centre, paper 52. The Open University.

   New Zealand Teachers Council. (2009). Registered Teacher Criteria. Retrieved from https://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/sites/default/files/Registered-Teacher-Criteria-%28English%29.pdf

   The University of Kent. (2012). Gibbs Reflective Cycle. Retrieved from https://www.kent.ac.uk/learning/PDP-and-employability/pdp/reflective.html