Assesing reflective thinking

Ecem Karagü[email protected]

April, 2015

ASSESING REFLECTIVE

THINKING

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 !