Reflective Professional Development Research Articles

The precarious academic: professional development and academic identity in the neoliberal university

ABSTRACT Academics are constantly undergoing identity shifts in response to globalisation, marketisation and the impact of technology on academic work. This study investigates the impact of a Graduate Certificate of Higher Education (GCHE) on academic identity development in an Australian University. GCHE graduates and their educators were interviewed to examine whether such extended and reflective professional development might support the negotiation of complex identity shifts. Findings indicated that academic identity development was enabled through this professional development by re-engaging individual academics in the diverse, traditional components of teaching, research and administration, working against the neoliberal trend of role-compartmentalisation for efficiency.

Social justice knowledge construction among physical education teacher educators: the value of personal, professional, and educational experiences

ABSTRACT Background: The imperative for social justice in education means that pre-service teachers should learn how to teach for and about social justice, including pedagogical and content knowledge. Understanding how physical education (PE) pre-service teachers and teacher educators construct and develop their knowledge of social justice pedagogies and critical content, intertwined with values based on social justice and equity, is needed to best support future teachers. Purpose: The focus of this paper is how physical education teacher educators and PE and sport pedagogy university faculty have developed their knowledge of teaching for and about social justice: where their knowledge came from and how they draw upon it in their teaching and programme design. Method: Seventy-two faculty from seven countries engaged in an in-depth interview about their conceptualisation of social justice, their knowledge, practices, institutions, and policy contexts and completed a demographic survey on their social identity and professional experiences. Using a social justice pedagogical and content knowledge (SJPACK) model, thematic analysis generated formal educational study, workplace experience, and personal or social identity bases of social justice knowledge. Findings: Many of those who expressed a commitment to teaching about and for social justice had personal and professional experiences that had provided ‘eye-opening’ moments. For instance, some had encountered marginalisation and discrimination based on their identity. If social justice issues were not a part of a participant’s lived experience, but they had professional experience in the field, they were struck by what they did not know and subsequently sought out postgraduate or professional development. Professional experiences in the field were much more likely than formal education experiences to provide recognition that participants needed to learn more about social justice. Social justice is both knowledge and an ideological stance, so learning about social justice is as much about values and disposition as about content. Social justice must be important enough for teacher educators to embed in their belief system so that it becomes part of their pedagogical practice. Conclusion: This study prompts consideration of the professional development needs of teacher educators concerning social justice that goes beyond acknowledging the existence of sociocultural issues by moving towards changes in pedagogical practices in PETE and PESP programmes. We advocate collaborative and reflective professional development for educators if SJPACK is to be woven throughout teacher education programmes and not just incumbent on educators with personal experience of social justice issues.

Novice teachers and embracing struggle: Dialogue and reflection in professional development

This article explores the challenges shared by novice teachers in a year-long series of professional development workshops, which were designed to help novice teachers notice, unpack, and respond to the difficulties they were encountering in the first three years of teaching. The authors analyzed the data generated during the Oral Inquiry Process workshops to identify common challenges shared by the novice teachers who participated in this study and the nuances within them. Findings pointed to two common categories of struggle: reconciling theory and practice in standardized schools and managing relationships with veteran teachers. Nuances within these challenges included tension flowing from standardization, pacing constraints, and navigating complex relationships with veteran teachers. The authors argue that developing a nuanced understanding of the challenges novice teachers encounter is a vital first step in structuring teacher induction programs to respond to the needs of the teachers they serve. Working from the findings of the study, the authors offer recommendations for structuring professional development programs designed to help novice teachers embrace struggle through dialogue about and reflection upon the particular challenges created by their teaching contexts.

Structural and Functional Model of Professional Reflection Development in Teachers in the System of Methodical Work

The article is dedicated to generalisation of information about development of professional reflection in teachers in the system of methodical work of a pedagogical college in the form of a model for its approbation. The purpose of the article is to analyse the contemporary literature on the research problem, experience of the real-world teachers, on the basis of which (the main goal) an effective relatively open model of professional reflection development in teachers of college or other higher education institutions should be built. Research methods: analysis of scientific and methodical literature; analysis of curricula and scientific-methodical support, method of system schematic structural-hierarchical modelling of professional reflection development in teachers in the system of methodical work. The article proves a hypothesis that on the basis of generally accepted principles in contemporary education theory and taking into account all didactic and psychological components of the educational process, it is possible to create a diagnostic and formative model of professional reflection development in teachers. A methodical centre of such a model is the author’s course on reflection development: “Development of professional reflection in the system of methodical work at a pedagogical college”. The model is of a framework type and it is relatively open, which allows to adjust it for the needs of a particular institution. The international significance of the article lies in the possibility of a framework application of the developed model of professional reflection in countries with transitional state of education system (developing countries).

A Higher Education Action Research Study on the Effectiveness of an ePortfolio as a Learning Tool to Promote Reflective Professional Development

Within higher education, ePortfolios have been demonstrated to enhance professional development and to promote critical thinking. In this context, one higher education level nine module, namely, the Professional Development Framework Portfolio module, was analysed. The module was piloted during the 2019-2020 academic year in one Irish Institute of Technology. It was intentionally designed to align with the Professional Development Framework promoted by the Irish National Forum for the Enhancement for Teaching and Learning. The primary aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an ePortfolio as a learning tool for professional development, in the context of the module’s delivery. An action research methodology was employed. Data collection tools and processes included a learner-questionnaire, an ePortfolio mapping analysis, and a dialogical reflection on the part of two lecturer-researchers. Salient findings were that the use of ePortfolios for the purpose of professional development in higher education was evidenced, and the effectiveness of ePortfolios to facilitate the mapping of professional development was established. The main recommendations to enhance this module for future action research iterations included: 1) to facilitate deeper reflection on personal professional development goals, 2) to support reflective practice and reflective writing skills, and 3) to provide a pre-module workshop on ePortfolio web development prior to module commencement. More broadly, it was also recommended to revisit the time demands of the module and to research the extent to which the module might effectively promote a sustainable professional development community of practice framed around ePortfolio development.

The Value of Identifying a Gap in a Reflective Professional Development Program for Informal Science Educators in a Zoo

Zoos are important informal learning environments. We conducted an external reflective professional development program for a zoo’s informal science educators to understand the process and implications of this program. Six educators engaged in an 8-stage program that included self-observation of videos and discussions with colleagues. Educators' ability to change their educational processes was based on their ability to identify a gap between their declared goals and actual practices, or a gap between their explicit and implicit beliefs. The most impactful aspects of this professional development program were video observations, discussion with colleagues, and the researcher's guidance and scaffolding during video observations with educators.

Psychological and Pedagogical Conditions and Means of Development of Professional Reflection of Teachers in the System of Methodical Work

The article considers general psychological and methodical patterns of mathematics teachers’ professional reflection in the system of methodical work. It proves the hypothesis that one can model and implement specific psychological and pedagogical conditions, thus promoting the development of professional reflection. Besides, the article shows that the specified pedagogical conditions for the successful development of professional reflection of teachers of mathematical disciplines in the system of methodical work are: ensuring awareness of the teacher of mathematical disciplines of the content, structure and means of development of professional reflection; formation of an objective self-assessment of the personality and own professional activity of teachers of mathematical disciplines; introduction of individual and group means of development of professional reflection in the system of methodical work of pedagogical college; creation of a reflective environment in the system of methodical work of a pedagogical institution. Psychological and pedagogical means for the development of professional reflection of teachers of mathematical disciplines in the system of methodological work of a pedagogical college are: means of individual reflection (repetition technique, counselling, individual reflection games, solving reflective problems, keeping a reflection diary); collective means of developing professional reflection of the teacher (reflective debates, reflex interviews, reflective classes, consultation, tutorial, group reflection games, development of programs for monitoring their (or colleagues) actions in professionally significant situations with subsequent analysis of the received materials, training on the development of professional pedagogical reflection); introduction of a special training course "Development of professional reflection of teachers of mathematical disciplines in the system of methodical work of the pedagogical college".

Pedagogical reflection as a professional competence in conditions of lifelong pedagogical education

In the article, pedagogical reflection is considered as a professional competence, its essence, stages and mechanisms for reflexing pedagogical activity are presented. The reflection phenomenon is revealed in an integrative context, the specifics of its revealing in the professional experience of the teacher is described. The role of reflexive thinking in professional pedagogical activity is justified. The conditions for the development of professional reflection of the teacher were highlighted. The most important among them are: updating the teacher’s reflexivity; specially organized reflexive activity of the teacher; the presence of a reflexive environment; enhancing the interpersonal relationships of participants in reflexive activities; development of professional reflection using educational programs. The model of personal reflexive support of the specialist is analyzed and necessity of its application is justified. The main goal of reflexive support for the development of the teacher’s personality should be the creation of favorable conditions for the formation of a mature professional identity. Continuing pedagogical education represents the constant creative development and improvement of each person throughout life by means of the interaction of all the knowledge obtained at different life stages and stages of learning.

Pedagogic position of resident physicians as a factor contributing to forming a healthy-oriented lifestyle in patients

The paper describes the features and components of the academic course content and teaching techniques aimed at forming the pedagogic position (a set of pedagogical knowledges, skills, competences, values, and attitudes) of a doctor in young resident physicians. This position contributes to an effective health-oriented lifestyle dissemination and adoption, especially in patients with chronic diseases. It reflects a new perception of physician’s vocational duties, including care for patients’ life and their need for psychological support. Biopsychosocial approach to health and disease was chosen as a conceptual core of the academic course content and methodology design, specially elaborated to unite pedagogical aspects of the physician’s job with the clinical ones. The set of methods aimed at doctor’s pedagogical position formation and development of professional reflection, values and attitudes included lecturing, interviewing, case studies and clinical cases analysis, discussion, questionnaires, brainstorming, trainings and testing. Eighty-six resident physicians were observed within this study. Such components of the pedagogic position as knowledges, skills, attitudes and motivation showed more dynamics, whereas personal traits were seen as a more static and stable component of the pedagogic position in resident physicians. A remarkable divergence of progress was elicited between doctors of various specialties.

Становление научно-образовательной модели Музыкально-психологической антропологии

The article presents an understanding of the value attitudes and methodological approaches to the construction of the educational discipline “Musical-psychological anthropology”, developed by the author and tested in the educational process at the Faculty of Musical Arts of the Institute of Fine Arts of Moscow Pedagogical State University. The directions of development in the discipline content the ideas and aspirations by E. B. Abdullin are outlined. The connection of the actual problems of pedagogy and psychology of music education with the experience of setting tasks for the project activities of graduate students in the course of Musical-psychological anthropology is shown. Some research results of graduate students which contribute to the development of Music-Psychological Anthropology as an interdisciplinary field and academic discipline at a university, focused on current problems of music education, as well as on the development of professional reflection of music teachers are presented.

More than ‘just play’: picking out three dimensions of a balanced early years pedagogy

ABSTRACTThis paper addresses the incompletely resolved tension between play-based and direct teaching approaches to early years pedagogy and practitioners’ resultant difficulties in understanding and delivering high-quality practice. Previously, we argued for the importance of infusing playfulness into all classroom interactions and activities in order to assist practitioners in forming a useful mental model of early years practice. Here, we extend the playful image to present a new, coherent framework for early years practice, based on three dimensions: the degree of playfulness in the activity taking place, the locus of control of the action during the activity and the nature of the learning taking place. We lay out the framework and describe its relation to free play as a prelude to discussing how it applies to classroom play and other types of early years classroom activity, illustrated by cameos. It is argued that the full range of each dimension should be well sampled through choosing a variety of activities and that such an approach will preserve high levels of child engagement. The framework provides a useful tool to prompt reflective practice and professional development.

ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ РІВНЮ СФОРМОВАНОСТІ ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ РЕФЛЕКСІЇ СТУДЕНТІВ ФАКУЛЬТЕТІВ «ЗДОРОВ’Я ТА ФІЗИЧНОЇ РЕАБІЛІТАЦІЇ» ВИЩИХ ОСВІТНІХ ЗАКЛАДІВ

The article deals with the problem of studying the process of development of professional reflection of students of the faculties of “Health and Physical rehabilitation” of higher educational institutions. There were proposed objective conditions that determined the professional development of students in general and the formation of professional reflection in particular. It was shown that these conditions were related to a real system of professional training of students in higher system of education. Among them there are the main ones: professional orientation of training; the content of the educational process in a higher educational institution; unity and interrelation of theoretical and practical aspects of training. Also there were singled out the subjective conditions that influenced the development of professional reflection of future specialists in the sphere of physical rehabilitation: professional orientation of the person; intellectual abilities; students’ activity in the professional development and mastery of professional reflection. There were described empirical results of the study of professional reflection of students of the faculties of “Health and Physical rehabilitation” organized in higher educational institutions. These results allowed us to distinguish some dominant contradictions, the main of which there are such as: between the lack of knowledge of students of the 1st-4th-year studying about the complexity of the profession of a specialist in a sphere of physical rehabilitation and the requirement of awareness and independence of their own choice; between professional plans of students, on the one hand, and means of achieving them – on the other one. So, the students’ plans are focused on the end result, not on the ways to achieve them. This was manifested in the lack of awareness or inadequate assessment by students of their capabilities, in the inability to take into account their individual characteristics in relation to the profession of a specialist in a sphere of physical rehabilitation. According to students reflection is a specific quality of knowledge of students when the subject of perception reconstructs in his/her own consciousness the qualities, characteristics of the person whom he/she perceives as a partner in a process of communication. That is why the development of professional reflection of students can be effective in the process of dialogue and dialogical interaction. Telling about the development of professional reflection of students we’ll consider dialogue and dialogical interaction as the main way, noting on the fact that this form of communication is productive one only when it involves reflection, in such a way when it is possible to identify the conditions for the person to go into the positions “above” or “outside”. Also we’ll distinguish between two relatively independent and simultaneously interconnected parties: a) reflection in a dialogue, which implies awareness of how the participants in the dialogical interaction interpret the situation of communication for themselves; b) dialogue in the process of reflection of own professional activities, aimed at developing techniques of communication.

A reflective professional development intervention model of early writing instruction

ABSTRACTThis study presents a professional development (PD) model for promoting preschool teachers’ writing instruction utilizing teachers’ reflective practices. Thirteen prekindergarten teachers were followed for the entire pre-K year. Teachers were assigned to intervention and comparison conditions. A reflective PD workshop was developed based on classroom observations and teachers’ reflections during the Fall semester. Intervention group teachers completed a reflective PD workshop, and a reflective teacher–researcher meeting in the Spring semester. By the end of the pre-K year, classroom observations suggested that the intervention group teachers provided a significantly higher quality of literacy and writing instruction than comparison group teachers. Intervention group teachers also implemented new teaching practices with high fidelity. Findings demonstrate the merit and necessity of utilizing reflective practices during in-service teachers’ training. The description of the reflective PD model and teachers’ initial teaching practices are also discussed in this article.

TECHNIQUES OF "COMPETITIVE PAIRS" WHILE TRAINING DENTAL DOCTORS

Considering the strategic directions of modern higher education, dominant personality-oriented paradigm, which determines the rejection of understanding the educational process as a path which interns must comply, can be called This paradigm provides a variety of methods and tools that match the individual personality as a subject of education. The purpose of this work is the searching for new paradigms of educational reform and its new models and technologies, innovative approaches, learning and education. Employees of the Academy were customized modification techniques "competing groups" in training doctors ‒ dental interns, whose meaning is "doubles competition." At the same time, three main components of the concept of critical thinking were basis of the systematization of techniques and strategies within this methodology: cognitive (development of mental levels), communicative (development of interactions) and reflexive (the development of professional reflection). The process of learning by this methodology is carried out in three stages:
 
 The preparatory stage involves the definition of the purpose and the task of a substantiated motivation. The conditional clinical situation should be in line with the current standard of higher education, which presupposes the presence of normative disciplines. Intern doctors can propose a problematic situation for discussion, based on the great interest in this topic themselves (the theme of the course work, the specifics of the place of future work, etc.), they can choose their "opponent" independently. The condition of the business game is the planned agreement of one member of the group with the other, he must reasonably and correctly proves the opposite.
 The main stage takes place as an independent work of interns on their task. For a well-grounded objection, doctors-interns should propose a variety of modern methods of clinical, laboratory, instrumental research, the use of certain therapeutic options, hoping for its effectiveness. At this stage, an important work is going on: each intern must receive the data necessary for "competitiveness", find evidence or refutation based on a specific approach to the problem (subjective, facilitarial, holistic, and interactive), which may indicate the implementation of personality-oriented learning . The phases of work with the information are determined: 1) recognition of information; 2) its review; 3) determination of the main; 4) comparison of the main and secondary; 5) information analysis; 6) its synthesis; 7) information characteristics; 8) its application; 9) information evaluation; 10) personal attitude to information.
 The final stage is the report of each competitive pair, presentation of results and project protection. An important point is the discussion of the results in the presence of all interns in a specialty that is conducted under the guidance of a teacher or a working group.
 
 The use of the technique of "competitive couples" in the educational process of interns of dentistry significantly increases the quality of knowledge. Problematic clinical situations form the ability to self-organization cognitive activity, the ability to perform operations of mental activity. The element of competition, the opportunity to reveal its theoretical and practical potential greatly enhances the ability of young colleagues to think clinically. The introduction of stimulating, encouraging, exciting methods in the educational process can remove psychological stress from interns' doctors, encourage them to self-improvement. As a basis that determines the use of the methodology of individual creativity in the practice of working with young colleagues, the humanization of education, as well as self-improvement, is a necessary condition for obtaining the individually required knowledge and skills.

From an Active Learner to a Reflective Practitioner: Learning to Become a Professional Indonesian EFL Instructor

For teachers, professional development is a lifelong journey and a complex and multi-dimensional process. Effective professional development requires practitioners to engage not only in training but also in habitual reflection. However, research on reflective learning within the context of Indonesian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching, at both secondary and tertiary levels, is limited. Using the-Self Study, Qualitative Inquiry this article explores my reflective practices in the Indonesian educational context. It is structured around a narration of my roles as an active EFL learner and instructor which have led me to become a reflective practitioner. The article starts with my first contact with English and then goes on to my later learning-teaching experiences. It highlights the process of my reflective learning experience and its influence on my practices as an EFL instructor. In doing so, it aims to encourage similar awareness and reflective professional development in Indonesian EFL teachers. My reflection reveals that learning from experience allows educational practitioners to improve professional competent.

From novice to expert, and the in-between: A narrative of the evolution of a novel reflective professional development mentoring program

Introduction: Mentoring has been identified in the literature as a means of supporting the professional development of nurses and other healthcare professionals from novice to expert. The setting for most mentoring studies has been conducted in nursing faculties aiming to help the transition of new nurse educators or graduate nurses. There are no mentoring studies reported in an Infection Control setting. The aim of this report is to provide a narrative of the use and evolution of a structured professional development and mentoring model incorporating a reflective tool to facilitate novice infection prevention and control professionals to become experts within the infection control department of a large tertiary facility. Methods: A professional development program (PDP) was developed for new staff members to facilitate acquisition of knowledge and development of skills essential to their role. The structure of this program evolved in response to the demonstrated needs of participants to include a mentor-guided professional development and mentoring program (PDMP) in accordance with a framework using critical reflection, goal setting and mentor feedback. The program spanned a period of six-months with weekly assessments of the mentee’s progress towards the self-identified goals. Results: Staff who participated in the PDMP informally reported positive growth both personally and professionally in infection control. Their feedback corroborated the findings from the measurable outcomes used to demonstrate their progress. Conclusion: This pilot program has scope for replication in other healthcare settings and will aid in succession planning, a critical need in nursing and more specifically, infection control.

Bariery i ograniczenia w refleksyjnym rozwoju nauczycieli wczesnej edukacji

Idea refleksyjnego rozwoju nauczycieli od lat jest ważnym zagadnieniem w edukacji, hasło to jednak pozostaje w przestrzeni życzeń i postulatów. Badacze najczęściej nie zagłębiają się w przyczyny uporczywego trwania nauczycieli na bezpiecznych pozycjach bezrefleksyjnego, instrumentalno-technicznego sposobu doświadczania rzeczywistości. Dlatego celem artykułu będzie analiza podmiotowych i zewnętrznych ograniczeń procesu refleksyjnego w rozwoju nauczycieli wczesnej edukacji. Przedstawiona klasyfikacja ograniczeń obejmować będzie bariery podmiotowe (poznawcze, emocjonalno-motywacyjne i osobowościowe) oraz (związane z czynnikami zewnętrznymi) bariery kulturowe, polityczne, środowiskowe i łączące się ze specyfiką procesu edukacji. Należy podkreślić, iż uświadomienie czynników hamujących lub ograniczających refleksyjny rozwój zawodowy może przyczynić się do lepszego zrozumienia sytuacji nauczycieli wczesnej edukacji, gdyż jest on jedną z bardziej optymalnych form współuczestniczenia w ponowoczesności.

The professional actuation of pedagogical documentation in Belgian and Finnish early childhood education settings

ABSTRACTThe advantage of pedagogical documentation has been widely documented in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC). However, little research points out how and why professionals are using pedagogical documentation from the staff’s perspective itself. Therefore, this research aimed to examine how pedagogical documentation is employed in their professional practice. The data for this descriptive qualitative study were collected by interviewing 56 ECEC professionals (heads of organizations, teachers and child minders) after their informed consent. Three purposes in using pedagogical documentation were detected: 1/ to demonstrate facts and growth, 2/ to provoke further thinking; 3/ to facilitate adult–child interaction and interaction among adults. These uses were directed at children, parents, professionals, the neighbourhood, and the interactions across these groups. The results show that staff uses pedagogical documentation in multiple ways, but not often as a tool for professional development. This yields future perspectives to support reflective professional development.

Reflective Professional Development Journals for Constructivist Evaluation of Teacher Learning and Reactions

Limited in scope, this paper deliberately foregrounds the evaluation stage of a suggested 5-month constructivist professional development (PD) programme for Algerian novice middle school English teachers (N=14) who were willingly involved in the whole process of its planning, implementation and evaluation and whose needs, preferences and reflections were valued. Evaluating this programme, assessment rubrics, classroom observation notes, project presentations and professional development journals (PDJs) were analysed. Precisely, amongst these constructivist evaluative tools, this study aimed to explore the participants’ post-programme learning and reactions through a qualitative content analysis of their reflective PDJs. The revelations of this evaluative analysis about the participants’ learning and reactions would inevitably assess the value of this constructivist programme as well as its effectiveness and help make decisions for its improvement. Additionally, this analysis would significantly confirm the usefulness of PDJs as effective constructivist reflective tools for teachers’ conceptual and practical development. After being collected, repeatedly read and qualitatively content-analysed, the participants’ coded PDJs (N=14) disclosed themes (N=6) and sub-themes (N=14) reflecting an amalgam of their learning and reactions. This cognitive and affective analysis of the participants’ reflections revealed signs of constructions of different ELT- and PD-related concepts, correction of some misconceptions together with traces of satisfaction, self-confidence and willpower. In the light of this study, the researcher strongly recommends PDJs for teachers to self/peer-assess and develop their teaching concepts and practice, and for programme facilitators to uncover and, therefore, meet teachers’ individual cognitive and affective needs.

Организация и результаты опытно-экспериментальной работы по развитию профессиональной рефлексии студентов педагогов-психологов в образовательном процессе вуза

Организация и результаты опытно-экспериментальной работы по развитию профессиональной рефлексии студентов педагогов-психологов в образовательном процессе вуза