The repertory grid as a tool for reflection in the professional development of practitioners in early education

Abstract

This article examines what being a ‘reflective practitioner’ means and how the process of reflection can be operationalised and evaluated in the context of the continuing professional development (CPD) of those who work in the field of early education. It is argued that Personal Construct Psychology (Kelly, 1955) has strong prima facie relevance to professional development and that the repertory grid (rep grid) technique is worthy of examination as a tool for professional reflection. Rep grids eliciting constructs about children were completed by participants at the beginning and end of a postgraduate course module in early education. Categories emerging from content analysis of the beginning and end grids showed considerable similarity, but a detailed analysis of individual grids showed marked differences in some cases. The study illustrates the potential of the rep grid as a tool for reflection and yields useful insights into the professional understandings of practitioners working on a CPD course. Participants themselves commented positively on the opportunity to examine the constructs they used to describe children and to reflect critically upon them.