Holistic reflection in teacher education: issues and strategies

Abstract

Current practices in teacher education are standards-driven and place a great deal of emphases on micro-analyzing practices and reflecting on technical problems in teaching. Processes that are attributed to one's inner life, and that are associated with the artistic/aesthetic domains, such as, intuition, contemplation, visualization, and imagination are largely ignored in teacher education programs. Many educators, however, believe that the cultivation of the inner life, in particular, the imagination, is critical for teacher development and reshaping professional practices. This paper focuses on how teacher education can support holistic teacher professional development through acknowledging and fostering the inner life. A model for teacher reflection and professional development based on the Native American/First Nations Medicine Wheel developed by the author will be discussed as a methodology for prospective and practicing teachers to explore self, the inner life, and connections to practice.

Developing teachers’ reflective practice: an explorative study of teachers’ professional learning experience in a private Lebanese school

“…In fact, teachers stated that their ability to reflect improved after joining the school mostly because of the school's vision as a learning community and its purposefully planned PD program. This is in line with what is documented in the literature: a holistic approach that goes beyond technical training needs to be adopted (York-Barr et al 2006, Klein 2008; and even experienced teachers would benefit from ongoing training to develop higher levels of reflective practice (Galvez-Martin 1997, Hammrich et al 1990). The teachers identified two main contextual factors that had an impact on developing their reflective practice at the school.…”

“…Tools and methods to develop reflective practice Some educators view reflective practice as a process that can be developed using tools such as diaries (Heath 1998), action learning groups (Williamson 1997), autobiographical stories (Brookfield 1995), sketching (Willis 1999), case studies (Sparks-Langer et al 1990, Lundberg andLevin 2003), mentoring (Drago-Severson 2004), portfolios (Dietz 1999), medicine wheel (Klein 2008), community of practice (Ng and Tan 2009) and action research (Calhoun 2002). Despite the increased interest in promoting reflective practice, research has found that the impact of these attempts on the ability of teachers to reflect at high levels is questionable.…”

“…Meanwhile, there has been a shift in the perception of effective PD from the traditional 'one-off', decontextualized training towards a model that is learnercentered, holistic (Klein 2008), flexible, situated and focused on 'understanding and supporting authentic professional learning' (Webster-Wright 2009, p. 702). This shift necessitates that PD programs around the world go from concentrating on the content of PD towards focusing on improving the learning experience itself.…”

“…Engaging in reflection on one's practice is still considered a key catalyst for building the capacities of teachers and principals and their schools to constantly learn and enhance student learning (Schon 1987, Darling-Hammond 1997, Glickman et al 2009, Reeves 2010. Consequently, reflective practice has become a major element in professional development (PD) programs, and is currently viewed as a major contributor to school improvement and effectiveness (Leitch and Day 2000, Klein 2008, Tan 2008, Webster-Wright 2009). Nevertheless, not all types of reflection are found to lead to the desired change and enhancement in one's practice.…”

“…Without the ability to evaluate assumptions, teachers risk remaining prisoners of their old patterns and self-imposed normative and structural arrangements. By analyzing the values and personal theories that underlie their practice, teachers will move towards greater self-knowledge and self-challenge on their professional learning journey (Leitch and Day 2000, Klein 2008, Ng and Tan 2009.…”