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Reflective Teaching

Child Development & Pedagogy

Useful for: CTET, KVS, NVS, OTET, OSSTET, UGC NET, EMRS, CTSA / STSS

and 8 more exams

Junior Teacher, OAVS, OPSC PGT, OSSC Foundation Course, OSSC Teacher Readiness, Sainik Schools, Special OTET, SSB School Teachers

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Overview

Reflective teaching means systematically examining one’s own teaching to improve it, using evidence from students, colleagues and research.

Key points

John Dewey linked reflection with thoughtful action.
Donald Schön distinguished reflection-in-action (during teaching) and reflection-on-action (after teaching).
Kolb’s experiential learning cycle: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation, active experimentation.
Stephen Brookfield’s four lenses: self, students, colleagues and theory/research.
Action research is systematic inquiry by teachers into their own practice.
Teaching journals and peer observation support reflection.

Explanation

Student feedback is valuable evidence.
Reflection should lead to specific changes.
Professional learning communities support collective reflection.
Video recording of lessons aids analysis.
Reflection includes values and assumptions.

Step by step

Identify the concept, law or policy the question is testing.
Recall the exact provision, thinker or principle.
Prefer inclusive, rights-based and evidence-based options; reject punitive or exclusionary ones.

Examples

A teacher changes an example mid-lesson when students look confused → reflection-in-action.
After class, a teacher notes which questions worked and plans changes → reflection-on-action.
A teacher tests whether peer reading improves fluency over six weeks → action research.

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Reflection without action.
Trap: Using only self-opinion.
Trap: Mixing Schön’s two types.

Quick revision

Schön: in-action, on-action.
Kolb cycle.
Brookfield four lenses.

Practice MCQs

Reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action were described by —
1. David Kolb
2. B. F. Skinner
3. Donald Schön
4. John Dewey
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Answer: (c) Donald Schön. Schön distinguished the two.
Changing an example in the middle of a lesson when students look confused is —
1. reflection-on-action
2. rote teaching
3. summative assessment
4. reflection-in-action
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Answer: (d) reflection-in-action. Adjusting during teaching.
Noting after class which questions worked and planning changes is —
1. dictation
2. punishment
3. reflection-in-action
4. reflection-on-action
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Answer: (d) reflection-on-action. Reflection after teaching.
Kolb’s cycle begins with —
1. concrete experience
2. active experimentation
3. testing
4. abstract conceptualisation
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Answer: (a) concrete experience. Experience → reflection → concept → experiment.
Brookfield’s four lenses are self, students, colleagues and —
1. exams
2. fees
3. theory/research
4. parents only
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Answer: (c) theory/research. The fourth lens is theory and research.
Systematic inquiry by teachers into their own practice is —
1. action research
2. peer pressure
3. detention
4. streaming
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Answer: (a) action research. Action research supports reflection.
Reflection is useful only when it leads to —
1. specific changes in practice
2. more paperwork
3. longer lessons
4. stricter rules
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Answer: (a) specific changes in practice. Reflection should change teaching.
Teaching journals mainly support —
1. punishment
2. fee collection
3. attendance
4. reflection
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Answer: (d) reflection. Writing about lessons builds reflection.
Using only one’s own opinion to judge a lesson is —
1. required
2. ideal
3. sufficient
4. a limitation; use multiple lenses
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Answer: (d) a limitation; use multiple lenses. Multiple perspectives improve reflection.
John Dewey linked reflection with —
1. conditioning
2. memorisation
3. thoughtful action
4. punishment
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Answer: (c) thoughtful action. Dewey saw reflection as careful consideration guiding action.