The Teacher's Reflective Practice Handbook: Becoming an Extended Professional Through Capturing Evidence-Informed Practice

225 Pages·2012·4.599 MB·English

by  Paula Zwozdiak-Myers

The Teacher’s Reflective
Practice Handbook
What do we mean by reflective practice?
What does it involve?
How can it help you develop as a teacher?
The Teacher’s Reflective Practice Handbook is an essential source of advice, guidance and
ideas for both students and practising teachers. Helping you to translate pedagogical
knowledge into practice, this handbook guides you through studying your own teaching
for personal development, evaluating your lessons through classroom research, and
enhancing the quality of pupil learning. It offers an innovative framework which serves
to prepare you for the challenges and complexities of the classroom environment, and
supports the continuing improvement of your teaching.
Underpinned by key theoretical concepts and contemporary research within the
field of education, chapters help you to:
• systematically evaluate your teaching through classroom research procedures
• question personal theories and beliefs, and consider alternative perspectives and
possibilities
• try out new strategies and ideas to maximise the learning potential of all students
• enhance the quality of, and continue to improve, your teaching.
Including a range of reflective tasks, links to online resources, exemplification
material and further reading to help you develop your own thinking, The Teacher’s
Reflective Practice Handbook is an accessible guide which supports the facilitation
of reflective practice through self- and peer-assessment, problem-based learning and
personal development planning. The multi-dimensional framework enables you to
build a meaningful, personally relevant portfolio of evidence-informed practice.
Paula Zwozdiak-Myers is Course Director for the Secondary Postgraduate Certificate
in Education at Brunel University, UK.

The Teacher’s Reflective
Practice Handbook
Becoming an extended professional through
capturing evidence-informed practice
Paula Zwozdiak-Myers
First published 2012
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2012 Paula Zwozdiak-Myers
The right of Paula Zwozdiak-Myers to be identified as author of this
work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78
of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. The purchase of this copyright material confers
the right on the purchasing institution to photocopy pages that bear
the photocopy icon and copyright line at the bottom of the page. No
other parts of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known
or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Zwozdiak-Myers, Paula.
The teacher’s reflective practice handbook : how to engage effectively
in professional development and build a portfolio of practice / Paula
Zwozdiak-Myers.
p. cm.
Includes index.
1. Reflective teaching–Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Teachers–In-
service training–Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Portfolios in education–
Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.
LB1025.3.Z86 2012
371.102–dc23 2011048688
ISBN: 978-0-415-59757-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-59758-6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-11873-3 (ebk)
Typeset in Galliard
by HWA Text and Data Management, London
For Jonathan and Rosanna, my pigeon pair
And with fondest memories of the most remarkable friend and mentor,
my beloved husband Coleman Everett Myers

Contents
List of figures ix
List of tables x
Preface xi
PART I
Reflective practice for professional development:
framing the construct 1
1 Reflective practice: captured, framed and defined 3
2 Qualitative distinctions in reflective practice 14
PART II
Dimensions of reflective practice: key features
and processes 31
3 Dimension 1: study your own teaching for personal improvement 33
4 Dimension 2: systematically evaluate your own teaching through
classroom research procedures 48
5 Dimension 3: link theory with your own practice 67
6 Dimension 4: question your personal theories and beliefs 81
7 Dimension 5: consider alternative perspectives and possibilities 95
8 Dimension 6: try out new strategies and ideas 110
9 Dimension 7: maximise the learning potential of all your pupils 128
viii Contents
10 Dimension 8: enhance the quality of your own teaching 145
11 Dimension 9: continue to improve your own teaching 163
Appendix A: standards for teachers 183
Appendix B: criteria to determine ‘outstanding’ trainee teachers 186
References 188
Index 204
Figures
1.1 Framework of Reflective Practice 5
2.1 Qualitative distinctions between reflective conversations 16
3.1 Model of experiential learning 42
4.1 McKernan’s time process model of action research 52
5.1 Levels in the process of learning with regard to a certain domain 72
5.2 Knowledge base for teaching 74
6.1 Bandura’s conception of triadic reciprocality 87
9.1 Key features of assessment for learning 139
9.2 Analysing oral feedback 141
10.1 Pedagogic expertise as a combination of science, craft and art 153
10.2 Mind map of variables associated with teacher quality 156
11.1 Conceptual framework for key competencies 166
11.2 Individual and collective goals and competencies 168
11.3 Learning as social/collective achievement 171
11.4 Sources of CPD 174