The Reflective Practitioner: Teacher Education for Critical Self-Inquiry

Abstract

The reflective practitioner has now become a buzzword in the current way of teaching in teacher education, that all educators need to question their own personal beliefs, practices and assumptions. Drawing on the critical, constructive summary of self-inquiry, as a pedagogical and developmental strategy, this paper discusses how self-inquiry will improve the effectiveness and professional identity of the teacher. The paper relies on the theories of reflective practices, experiential learning, and critical pedagogy in asking how teacher education programs can help to create conditions where reflection goes beyond surface-level assessment to questioning the social, cultural, and institutional conditions. This study explores how to integrate reflective instruments (e.g., journals, peer discussions, portfolios, and case-based discussions) in learning and illustrates how they can foster self awareness, ethical responsibility, and adaptive expertise in both pre-service and in-service teachers.

The paper also makes a point of the issues that teachers encounter in maintaining critical reflection, including pressure institutions, fixed mandates and clearly manifested teacher-centered paradigms. It uses the case studies and empirical judgments to make the point that through structured reflection teachers are able not only to enhance their classroom practice but also become the agents of change at system level as well. The implications of the findings recommend that any critical self-inquiry is best accomplished under guidance by a trusted mentor, intensive learning environments and a culture of openness that appreciates vulnerability and the ongoing nature that characterizes growth.

Finally, the paper supports reflective practices as a transformational force in teacher education where educators can align their professional practice with the ideas of equality, inclusivity, and life-long learning. By so doing, it also makes its contribution to the current discourse about the preparation of teachers who do not only occupy the position of skilled practitioners but also of thoughtful, as well as critically engaged professionals, aware of the complexities of 21st-century education.