A PowerPoint presentation about THE REFLECTIVE MODEL of professional education Prepared by : Meriem Zeghdoud Qasem Al-Kofairy and Musa Mayyas

The three major models of professional education (for any profession) which have historically appeared on the scene are : The trainee watches the expert and tries to imitate him/her as well follow his/her instructions. The craft model The applied science model The findings of scientific knowledge and experimentation are conveyed to the trainee by those who are experts in the relevant area. The reflective model The trainee acquires knowledge from both experience and science.

The Reflective Model

What was the reason behind that? Consider this example One day a young girl was watching her mother cooking a roast of beef. Just before the mother put the roast in the pot, she cut a slice off the end. The daughter asked her mother why she had done that, and the mother responded that her grandmother had always done it. Later that same afternoon, the mother was curious, so she called her mother and asked her the same question. What was the reason behind that?

The Theory This model operates according to general schemes for practice and develops tacit knowledge in action. It also highlights both the experience and the scientific foundation of the profession.

The scientific basis of the profession This model came as a result of a “marriage” between the craft model and the applied science model. It gives emphasis on both Experience and The scientific basis of the profession

The three stages of professional competence Stage one Stage two Stage three P R O F E S I N A l C O M P E T N Received knowledge Trainee’s existing conceptual schemata or mental constructs Practice Reflection Experiential knowledge

Stage One Pre - training The reflective model highlights the trainees and what they bring to the training process. Teachers don’t enter any professional training situations with blank minds or with neutral attitudes. Teachers often make decisions according to a number of deep underlying“conceptual schemata”. Our behaviour in various typical ways is usually driven by concepts such as ideas, beliefs, attitudes, etc.

Can you add other reasons? Think about this situation How will you deal with a learner who commits a pronunciation error in his L2? It surely depends on your views on : The importance of fluency or accuracy Can you add other reasons? The nature and cause of the error Appropriate ways of dealing with such errors The importance of pronunciation errors as opposed the other kinds of errors

Important question What are the two kinds of “conceptual schemata”? 1) The kind which is derived from what has been read or taught. 2) The kind which is derived from professional experience. Other sources of “conceptual schemata’. Personality factors Social factors Cultural factors

Characteristics of Reflective Teachers purposeful Look at ends and means active Self- regarding open tentative sympathetic flexible patient

self -regarding open tentative linguistic One of the following is NOT of the characteristics of reflective teachers self -regarding open tentative linguistic

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reflective, applied science, craft The three major models of professional as they appear historically are : reflective, applied science, craft craft, reflective, applied science craft, applied science, reflective applied science, reflective, craft

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To sum up what has been mentioned before : 1- Reflective teaching means looking at what you do in the classroom, thinking about why you do it, and thinking about if it works. A process of self-observation and self-evaluation. 2- By collecting information about what goes on in the classroom, and by analyzing and evaluating this information, we identify and explore our own practices and underlying beliefs. This may then lead to changes and improvements in our teaching. 3- Reflective practice is used at both the pre-service and in-service levels of teaching. - Reflection in action : during the language lesson. - Reflection on action : After the lesson. - Reflection for action : For future lessons.

Stage 2 : Professional Education/Development In this stage two key elements are highlighted : 1- Received knowledge 2- Experiential knowledge Received knowledge means : facts, data, theories associated with the study of a particular profession. Experiential Knowledge means : professional action or practical experience. ( This is the core of the Reflective Model ).

Is there a relationship between received knowledge and experiential knowledge? There is a close, reciprocal relationship between them. Received knowledge should directly inform the experiential knowledge and be directly informed by it. In other words, trainees can reflect on the received knowledge in the light of classroom experience, and classroom experience can feed back into the received knowledge sessions.

Wallace’s(1991) Reflective Model Received Knowledge Professional Competence Practice Reflection Previous Experiential Knowledge Reflective Cycle

How does the experiential knowledge work? The trainees may evaluate the in-service courses in terms of their own practice and either decide to change their way of teaching or not. If they incorporate the new techniques in their practice, they may reevaluate them in the light of that practice. In this way, the process of reflective practice takes place.

Practice and Reflection Practice and reflection may include trial teaching : ( videotaped or observed by a group of teachers or supervisors). Those observers criticize and give their feedback about the way of teaching, so that the teacher can re-teach the same lesson in a better way.

The advantages and disadvantages: Reflective practice leads to developing professional competence. BUT, it has certain disadvantages : 1- The experience is private, not shared. Example : A teacher may say : ‘ That would never work with my class.’ OR ‘ I tried it and it worked like a dream.’ Here, the evidence is taken from the speaker’s credibility. So, the reflective discussion is based on an insecure foundation. 2- Lack of focus in the discussion. Absence of primary data available to all those present at the discussion.

What does it mean, exactly, to say that it ‘ works like a dream ’ ? In the absence of first-hand data (primary data), Such questions may be seen as an attack on the teacher’s authority as an interpreter of his/her own experience.

What are the aspects of the teacher education course that should be examined carefully ? 1- Teaching practice should be organized in a way that it can feed into the received knowledge subject sessions and also be influenced by them. 2- Trainers should be give the opportunity to discuss the received knowledge as related to the trainees’ school experience. 3- Assessment of the received knowledge should be organized in a way that trainees have the opportunity to display their ability to apply this knowledge in a classroom situation. 4- There should be a course organization that allows the received knowledge tutors to see how these inputs relate to one another , as well as to school experience.

References : Navaneedhan , C. Girija (2011). Reflective teaching pedagogy as innovative approach in teacher education through open and distance learning. Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 3 (12), 10-20. Wallace, Michael J. (2001). Training Foreign Language Teachers: A Reflective Approach. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

A quiz 1- Facts, data, theories associated with the study of a particular profession are called a) Received knowledge b) Experiential Knowledge Received knowledge 2- The goal of the Reflective Model is to achieve: a) Recycle reflection b) Professional competence Professional competence

The Reflective Cycle It is defined as the ongoing process of reflection on both received knowledge and experiencial knowlege. It is a cyclical process in which teachers monitor and evaluate their own experience .

Types of reflection Reflection may take place before the event in which teachers use their professional concerns to understand and reflect on the input. It may take place by the process of recollection It may take the form of reflection-on-action: reflection after the teaching process. It may take the form of reflection-in-action: reflection while teaching.

Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle

Action Research As a method of reflection, it has been suggested by some writers that reflection should be more formal and the teacher should become a researcher. In other words, the reflection process should take the form of a research . One appropriate form is « Action Research ». Action research can be the easiest for teachers to use since it is inside the classroom and under their control. One of the main characteristics of action research is that it is related to practical problems and have practical outcomes in terms of that it is practical and related to the teachers’ own context. Moreover, its outcomes are specific which indicates that it may not be of general application or generalized as in conventional research.

Action research involves changing the way to teach to enhance the learning process using an “on ground” evidence that is from the classroom. Teachers consider the classroom as a laboratory in which they collect information about the learning situation. Then, through reflection, they establish the connection between their teaching and their students learning process and outcomes. While many teachers have an implicit theory of teaching, they should have worked-out or practical theory that generates answers to teaching problems. So, this is considered to be a research which is a reflective practice of many teachers that leads to beneficial results.

Professional Competence In the reflective model, the professional competence is the ultimate goal to be achieved. It can be used in two senses: 1- It is the fact that someone has at least the minimum conditions or requirements to work and exercise his/her profession. So, the teacher’s competence to teach might be proved by the certificate that he/ she got at the end of an education course. This type of professional competence is called « Initial Competence » 2- Another sense of competence which most of the teachers have it as the main goal to reach is « expertise », but they never do due to some factors such as: society’s expectations, the school curriculum, the teachers’own interest ..etc . Thus, this competence moved from the « Adequacy » to « Expertise »

From this perspective, professional certificaton is not the end but it is, in fact, a starting point. If the second sense of professional competence that is expertise has been proved to be as valid and crucial as the first, it is important to consider it a secondary goal of the training programme and equipe trainees with necessary techniques to develop such competence.. Therefore, ways of measuring the one’s own practice « self evaluation » in an objective way considering sources for « self improvement » will all establish a complete programme of professional education and development.

The ultimate goal of this model is « professional competence » The ultimate goal of this model is « professional competence » . Trying to be a « good/ professional/ competent teacher » : - Is the « certificate » gained enough to professional competence? - To what extent does « experience » contribute in being a professional teacher?

References Day, R. (1991). Models and the Knowledge Base of Second Language Teacher Education. Navaneedhan, C. (2010). Reflective teaching pedagogy as innovative approach in teacher education through open and distance learning. Poblete Sr, D. (1999). A reflective teaching model: An Adventist assessment. In 24th International Faith and Learning Seminar Held at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, US A. June (Vol. 20). Richards, J. (2010). Competence and performance in language teaching.RELC Journal, 41(2), 101-122. Urgenor, P. (2011). Tutor, Demonstrator and Coordinator Development at UCD.Dublin, UCD Teaching and Learning. Wallace, M. (1991). Training foreign language teachers: A reflective approach. Cambridge University Press. Wlodarsky, R. & Walters, H. (2006). The reflective practitioner in higher education: the nature and characteristics of reflective practice among teacher education faculty. In National Forum of Teacher Education Journal-Electronic(Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 1-16).