“How am I going to handle the situation?” The Role(s) of Reflective Practice and Critical Friend Groups in Secondary Teacher Education

Abstract

This qualitative study was designed as a single-case study of a small, public, teacher education program in the Midwest. The author conducted a study on the perceived role of a "critical friends group" (CFG) in the development of beginning secondary teacher candidates' understandings and practices of reflective practice. Three main types of data, including course assignments, participant interviews, and observations were collected and analyzed. Findings from three (3) focal participants reveal characteristics of reflective teaching from the reviewed literature observed within and across the cases examined here. The perceived importance of the CFG varied on a case-by-case basis, with some experiencing the CFG as friendly, but mostly uncritical, and others remaining indifferent to the arrangement. Additionally, the author elaborates on three broad lessons learned and reinforced through the investigation into the local, including: 1) Critical reflection can and does occur in beginning TCs' practice, 2) CFGs led to informative learning, but not transformative learning, and 3) Designating a group "critical friends" is neither a guarantee of critical thinking or friendship.

Promoting reflective practice in an infant and early childhood training program

“…In short, reflective practices have grown into a wide variety of instructional and training techniques used in education and preservice learning, and professional development across a range of fields including education (Barbezat & Bush, 2013; Carlson, 2019; Catalana, 2020; Costa et al., 2020; Farrell, 2015; Han et al., 2020; Isik‐Ercan & Perkins, 2017), nursing (Bulman & Schutz, 2013; Silverman & Hutchison, 2019), and infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) professions (Conners Edge et al., 2022; Emde, 2009; IECMH; Frosch et al., 2018; Watson et al., 2016; Weatherston et al., 2006; 2009; 2010).…”

“…Across disciplines, professions, and purposes, the definition and scope of reflective practices varies, but contains common elements. For the purposes of the present paper, reflective practices are defined as the techniques used to encourage and support intentionality in learning through coursework (Barbezat & Bush, 2013; Carlson, 2019; Catalana, 2020; Costa et al., 2020; Han et al., 2020; Schön, 1987), self‐ and other‐awareness during interactions with children (Archer, 2007; Baum & King, 2006; Goldstein, 2001; Hatton & Smith, 1995; Schön, 1987), and in collaborative work with others, including supervision (Emde, 2009; Frosch et al., 2018; Silverman & Hutchison, 2019; Watson et al., 2016; Weatherston et al., 2006; 2009; 2010).…”

“…The teaching of reflective practices is a cornerstone of preservice teacher education programs for primary and secondary grades (e.g. Bean & Stevens, 2002; Carlson, 2019; Catalana, 2020; Costa et al., 2020; Hatton & Smith, 1995; Wubbels & Korthagen, 1990; Zeichner & Liston 2013) and has been implemented in some professional support programs for early childhood teachers and professionals already in the field (Bernstein & Edwards, 2012; Conners Edge et al., 2022; Emde, 2009; Frosch et al., 2018; Isik‐Ercan & Perkins, 2017; Peterson et al., 2009; Watson et al., 2016). In other IECMH fields, such as nursing, the promotion of reflective practice also has a history (Bulman & Schulz, 2013; Silverman & Hutchison, 2019; Watson et al., 2016).…”

“…Second, the instructional content across the courses and practicum experiences encourages students to integrate their lived experiences with acquired knowledge of child development. This is an effort to move students from deliberate reflection, simply describing specific situations, to critical reflection, which is providing explanations and considering alternatives (Barbezat & Bush, 2013; Carlson, 2019; Catalana, 2020; Costa et al., 2020; Han et al., 2020; Larrivee, 2008). The student lived experiences are defined as all of their previous experiences that have shaped their beliefs (Rotter, 1982), and are important because they inform their practices with children (La Paro et al., 2018; Rotter, 1982).…”

Teacher-Tailored Classroom Observation for Professional Growth of EFL Instructors: An Exploratory Case Study

“…To this end, a variety of PD forms have been introduced and practiced. Some examples of these include exploratory action research (e.g., Akcan et al 2019;Dikilitaş and Çomoglu, 2022), critical friend groups (e.g., Carlson, 2019;Vo and Mai Nguyen, 2010), lesson study (e.g., Cajkler et al, 2014;Hurd and Licciardo-Musso, 2005;Uştuk and Çomoglu, 2021), reflection groups (e.g., Aydın and Çomoglu, 2023;Mayoral, 2014), professional learning communities (e.g., Goodyear et al, 2019;Owen, 2016), curriculum study groups (e.g., Heikkilä, 2021;Unlu, 2018), and mentoring (e.g., Gjedia and Gardinier, 2018;Suchánková and Hrbáčková, 2017;Walters et al, 2019). CO has been utilized as a tool in some of these contemporary forms of PD.…”