Reflective Practice and Teacher Education - Azim Premji University

Reflective Practice and Teacher Professional Development
The philosophers and thinkers briefly described in the previous section established
reflective practice as much more than thinking about teaching. An important feature of
reflective practice is its relationship with professional knowledge and practice. An
understanding of what constitutes professional knowledge and practice is itself evolving.
From an attempt to identify teacher proof modes of practice to a recognition that personal
qualities and that too not just cognitive abilities are what make a teacher who she is, has
not been a smooth transition or even complete transformation. Nevertheless substantial
work has been done in extending understandings of the practice of education and
professional development of teachers. Current conceptions of philosophy of education
recognise that education is a human practice and cannot be subject to objective
theorisation. The practice of education lends itself to reflection, which if it is to “remain
true to its task”, involves a “different kind of thinking” from that which informs
theorising (Hogan & Smith, 2003; p. 167-168).
This “different” kind of thinking is emerging from critical thinking and pedagogy among
other developments 5 . Critical theory places critique near the centre of educational
concerns. As conceptualized by Habermas, it values emancipation and self determination
as the general aims of education. These values are not “chosen” to be imposed on a
curriculum but are “constitutive and central to the very processes by which that
curriculum has been furnished in the first place” (Blake & Masschelein, 2003; p.47).
A critical theory perspective on teacher education implies an understanding and analyses
of linkages between schools and the larger society in terms of inherent values, ideologies
and power relations. Critical theory helps focus on integrating theory into practice in new
ways (Beyer, 2001).
Self reflection and dialogue are central to critical pedagogy. Schools should be places
where “children and teachers share and reflect on their individual and collective
experience without fear of judgment” (NCF, 2005; p.24).
The epistemology, knowledge, processes and approaches of teacher professional
development for schools such as those envisaged in NCF, 2005 are briefly interpreted in
this section.
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