INNOVATIVE AND IMPROVED INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES

Activity: Pass the ball (ball wrapped with papers with questions)
Spell Out: Use things that start with the same letter

1. INTEGRATIVE
Integrative learning is a learning theory describing a movement toward integrated
lessons helping students make connections across curricula. This higher education concept
is distinct from the elementary and high school "integrated curriculum" movement.
Integrative Learning comes in many varieties: connecting skills and knowledge from
multiple sources and experiences; applying skills and practices in various settings; utilizing
diverse and even contradictory points of view; and, understanding issues and positions
contextually."

An integrative teaching strategy is one in which an educator presents interdisciplinary

lessons that highlight connections between disciplines rather than isolated facts and
lectures. While generally thought of as a higher education concept, integrative
teaching has also had positive outcomes in the K-12 environment.
Integrated learning incorporates multiple subjects, which are usually taught separately, in
an interdisciplinary method of teaching. The goal is to help students remain engaged and
draw from multiple sets of skills, experiences and sources to aid and accelerate the learning
process.
1. Fragmented Teaching This is what happens when we study just a part of reality like
when we put a wall to shut science from math, language from values, music from
civics. This is what we do when we teach the subjects in isolation from one another.
2. 3. Values and other subjects History and Literature Science and Math Reading and
Math India’s Caste System and Hymn of Creation “What is the angle of elevation or
velocity or the acceleration if….” Word Problems; “Tom is 12 years old greater than
Jerry” “Do I need that in my life? Will I use or apply that in real life?” I don’t know!
Malay ko!
3. 4. Integrative Teaching Strategies (ITS) A. Integrate – “To put things together” •
The lesson and real life situation. • The lesson and a lesson from other subjects. •
The lesson and meaningful activities. • The lesson and their intelligences and
learning styles. B. It paves the way to connecting what is learned in school to real
life world rather than isolated facts and information.
4. 5. We teach values, health, grammar and math when we teach science. We teach
science, values and math when we teach grammar. After all these subjects are parts
and parcels of life which is the only true curriculum.
5. 6. This was popularized by the advocates of Values Clarification like Charles Merill.
The proponents of this integrated teaching strategy asserts that the teaching –
learning process should touch the facts – level, the concept – level and the values –
level.
The integrative approach also refers to the infusion of a person's personality and needs -
integrating the affective, behavioural, cognitive, and physiological systems within one
person, as well as addressing social and spiritual aspects.

2. DISCOVERY APPROACH/ DISCOVERY LEARNING

What is Discovery Learning
Discovery Learning was introduced by Jerome Bruner, and is a method of Inquiry-Based
Instruction. This popular theory encourages learners to build on past experiences and
knowledge, use their intuition, imagination and creativity, and search for new information to
discover facts, correlations and new truths. Learning does not equal absorbing what was
said or read, but actively seeking for answers and solutions.
Discovery learning is a kind of teaching that is based on the student finding things out for
themselves, looking into problems, and asking questions. Essentially, it's all about students
coming to their own conclusions and asking about things in their course that might not
make particular sense. Obviously, as soon as enquiries are made, they can learn new things
and hence will have become part of an innovative, thought-provoking and interesting
educational journey. Top psychologists in the country have promoted this kind of learning
The 5 Principles of Discovery Learning Model
The Discovery Learning Model integrates the following 5 principles:
 Principle 1: Problem Solving.
Instructors should guide and motivate learners to seek for solutions by combining
existing and newly acquired information and simplifying knowledge. This way, learners
are the driving force behind learning, take an active role and establish broader
applications for skills through activities that encourage risks, problem-solving and
probing.
 Principle 2: Learner Management.
Instructors should allow participants to work either alone or with others, and learn at
their own pace. This flexibility makes learning the exact opposite of a static sequencing
of lessons and activities, relieves learners from unnecessary stress, and makes them
feel they own learning.
 Principle 3: Integrating and Connecting.
Instructors should teach learners how to combine prior knowledge with new, and
encourage them to connect to the real world. Familiar scenarios become the basis of
new information, encouraging learners to extend what they know and invent something
new.
 Principle 4: Information Analysis and Interpretation.
Discovery learning is process-oriented and not content-oriented, and is based on the
assumption that learning is not a mere set of facts. Learners in fact learn to analyze and
interpret the acquired information, rather than memorize the correct answer.
 Principle 5: Failure and Feedback.
Learning doesn’t only occur when we find the right answers. It also occurs through
failure. Discovery learning does not focus on finding the right end result, but the new
things we discover in the process. And it’s the instructor’s responsibility to provide
feedback, since without it learning is incomplete.
The Discovery Learning Model Techniques
The discovery learning educational sessions should be well-designed, highly experiential and
interactive. Instructors should use stories, games, visual aids and other attention-grabbing
techniques that will build curiosity and interest, and lead learners in new ways of thinking,
acting and reflecting.
The techniques utilized in Discovery Learning can vary, but the goal is always the same, and
that is the learners to reach the end result on their own. By exploring and manipulating
situations, struggling with questions and controversies, or by performing experiments,
learners are more likely to remember concepts and newly acquired knowledge.
The Discovery Learning Model Key Advantages And Drawbacks
Discovery learning has many key advantages, such as:
 It encourages motivation, active involvement, and creativity
 It can be adjusted to the learner’s pace
 It promotes autonomy and independence
 It ensures higher levels of retention
However, as all models, it has also few drawbacks that can be summarized as follows:
 It needs a solid framework, because the endless wandering and seeking for answers
might be confusing.
 It shouldn’t be used as a main instruction method, because it has limitations in
practice and might produce inadequate education.
 Instructors need to be well prepared and anticipate the questions they may receive,
and be able to provide the right answers or guidelines.
 At a certain level, it rejects the idea that there are significant skills and knowledge
that all learners should need to learn.

3. PROCESS (Learning is a Process kase )

The process approach is a management strategy. When managers use a. process
approach, it means that they manage and control the processes that. make up their
organizations, the interactions between these processes, and. the inputs and outputs
that tie these processes together.

What is the definition of a process?

A "Process" can be defined as a "Set of interrelated or interacting activities, which

transforms inputs into outputs". These activities require allocation of resources such as
people and materials.

What is the definition of the ‘process approach’?

The application of a system of processes within an organization, together with the
identification and interactions of these processes, and their management, can be
referred to as the “process approach”.

The processes are managed as a system, by creating and understanding a network of

the processes and their interactions. The consistent operation of this network is often
referred to as the "system approach" to management.
The performance of an organization can be improved through the use of the process
approach.

Traditional Approaches to Teaching Process/Workshop Approach to Teaching

Writing Writing

Writing is a product to be evaluated Writing is a process to be experienced and,

whenever possible, shared

There is one correct procedure for There are many processes for different
writing situations, subjects, audiences, authors

Writing is taught rather than learned The writing experience is coached and
through experience predominantly learned through guided practice
and shared experience

The process of writing is essentially Writing processes are varied and recursive.   One
linear: planning precedes writing and might start at different points in the process
revisions follows drafting, etc.

Writers must be taught in small, Writers learn best from attempting whole texts
incremental parts.   That is, small parts and learning about the parts of those texts while
and subskills must be mastered before in the recursive process of
attempting whole pieces of writing writing/revising/writing, etc.

Writing can be done swiftly and on The rhythms and pace of writing can be quite
command slow, since the writer's actual task is to create
meaning

Writing   is a silent and solitary activity Writing is essentially social and collaborative
 
  

Adapted from Emig (1982), in Zemmelman, S., & Daniels, H. (1988). A community of
writers. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann. 

4. MASTERY LEARNING
Mastery learning is a set of group-based, individualized, teaching and learning strategies
based on the premise that students will achieve a high level of understanding in a given
domain if they are given enough time.
Mastery learning (or, as it was initially called, "learning for mastery") is an
instructional strategy and educational philosophy, first formally proposed by Benjamin
Bloom in 1968. Mastery learning maintains that students must achieve a level of
mastery (e.g., 90% on a knowledge test) in prerequisite knowledge before moving
forward to learn subsequent information. If a student does not achieve mastery on the
test, they are given additional support in learning and reviewing the information and
then tested again. This cycle continues until the learner accomplishes mastery, and they
may then move on to the next stage.
Mastery learning methods suggest that the focus of instruction should be the time
required for different students to learn the same material and achieve the same level of
mastery. This is very much in contrast with classic models of teaching, which focus more
on differences in students' ability and where all students are given approximately the
same amount of time to learn and the same set of instructions.
In mastery learning, there is a shift in responsibilities, so that student's failure is more
due to the instruction and not necessarily lack of ability on his or her part. Therefore, in
a mastery learning environment, the challenge becomes providing enough time and
employing instructional strategies so that all students can achieve the same level of
learning.
The majority of us are very familiar with the traditional flow of classes, where we learn
material and study for the upcoming test. Then, regardless of our grade, we move on to the
next set of chapters, until we are tested on those. We go on to learn more and take the
next test and so on, until we are done with the class. Maybe we really learned what we were
taught, or maybe we only learned a portion, or maybe we barely understood most of the
material, and it's reflected in our ending grade. But what if we had to master what we were
taught? What if we couldn't move forward in a class until we had fully grasped what we
were tested on?
These are the kinds of questions that educator Benjamin Bloom began posing in the 1970s.
He was studying the variation of grades in classes and saw a vast difference between those
who had higher grades and those with lower ones. In an effort to create more balance,
Bloom considered how those with the lower grades could be given the chance to do better
on tests by receiving the help they needed. Specifically, he came up with a model that could
promote genuine learning along every step of a course. This model is called mastery
learning.
Mastery learning is unique compared to the traditional method mentioned above. Under this
model, a unit of material is taught, and students' understanding is evaluated before they
are able to move on to the next unit. As Bloom had suspected, this method was successful
in improving grades and lessening the divide between students in class. Below we have the
flow and order of mastery learning in the classroom.

The Approach
As mentioned already, teachers break down their class curriculum into smaller units - about
one to two weeks' worth of material - that will be taught throughout the course. After
learning the first unit, students are given what is like a quiz but serves more as an
evaluation or assessment. Rather than signifying the end of their time on this unit,
the assessment is a guide to the level of understanding the students have of the unit. The
teacher then identifies the areas of weakness and also the areas where the student may not
need help.

HOW MASTERY LEARNING AFFECTS EDUCATION

Curriculum–Mastery learning does not focus on content, but on the process of mastering it.
This type of learning works best with the traditional content-focused curriculum, one based
on well-defined learning objectives organized into smaller, sequentially organized units.

Instruction–This strategy captures many of the elements of successful tutoring and the
independent functionality seen in high-end students. In a mastery learning environment,
the teacher directs a variety of group-based instructional techniques. The teacher also
provides frequent and specific feedback by using diagnostic, formative tests, as well as
regularly correcting mistakes students make along their learning path.

Assessment–Teachers evaluate students with criterion-referenced tests rather then norm-

referenced tests. Mastery learning ensures numerous feedback loops, based on small units
of well-defined, appropriately sequenced outcomes.

Teach less, learn more: less teacher talk and more evidencing learning and progress
No child left behind: all children are enabled to keep up every day.
Space and time to experience and apply, with all children entitled to additional support to
ensure they do not fall behind or to go deeper
Understanding real life applications wherever possible to make learning relevant and not
abstract; nothing should be taught without a purpose.

 MORRISON TECHNIQUE - NATURE Morrison proposed the masteryformula for learning

– pretest,teach, test the result, adoptprocedure and test again to thepoint of nature
learning (Risk1947).Morrisonian plan of instructionmay be considered as theforerunner of
the different kindsof units and integrative technique.
 MORRISON TECHNIQUE - NATUREIt is usually used in the teaching of geography,
history, government and economics. It is the process of taking the contents of a particular
subject as big blocks and not as isolated and fragmentary bits of information. Its aim is to
approach topics as organized and integrated body , showing relevance and cognitive
relationship.
 6. MORRISON TECHNIQUE - STEPS1.Exploration The teacher through questions and
tests or in discussions, discoverswhat previous knowledge or experience the pupils have
about the unit to eliminate repetitions of subject matter already learned and to decide on
the apperceptive basis for the new unit.
 7. MORRISON TECHNIQUE - STEPS2. Presentation  The essential features of the unit
are presented and important points emphasized.  The aim is to give the pupil a bird’s eye
view of the entire unit.  Through proper motivation, the pupil’s interest is aroused and
goals or objectives are established.
 8. MORRISON TECHNIQUE - STEPS A presentation test may be given especially if the
unit is long. This test should reveal how much the pupils have absorbed during the
presentation. If it is successful, the teacher can then give the work sheet. Sometimes it
will be necessary to present the lesson anew if the presentation testshows that the pupils
did not get the material taken up.
 9. MORRISON TECHNIQUE -STEPS3. Assimilation The child learns what has
beenpresented by the teacher, absorbsit, and makes it part of himself. This period
presents an excellentopportunity for the teacher tocheck up on the study habits ofchildren.
It is an opportunity to developvaluable habits of study.
 10. MORRISON TECHNIQUE - STEPSAs the teacher goes around, he maycommend
good work or suggest that it beimproved. The teacher reaches the individual pupil,thus
meeting to some extent individualdifferences. The assimilation period may varydepending
on the length and difficulty ofthe unit under study. An assimilation test may be given
whichalso serves as a diagnostic test at the end.
 11. MORRISON TECHNIQUE -STEPS4. Organization  In this step, cooperative outlining
is usually worked out by the teacher and the pupils. This outline is placed on the board,
criticized, and adopted in a final form. This is an opportunity for the teacher to train the
pupils in outlining.  Pupils can be led todiscern relationships among the items of the
outline. It is also a chance for the pupils to develop logical thinking.
 12. MORRISON TECHNIQUE - STEPS5. Recitation Now the class performs while
theteacher and the other pupils listen. In the unit recitation, the pupil hasmastery of what
he is talking aboutand may give a report or lecture fora given time. This step should be
the liveliestpart.
 13. MORRISON TECHNIQUE - STEPS This step has for its purpose the presentation of
the whole subject matter in different situations. A writtenrecitationor achievement test
covering the whole unit may be given after the recitation. Steps of the unit mastery
technique insure mastery.
 14. MORRISON TECHNIQUE - ADVANTAGES It takes up big blocks of subject matter
and cuts across subject boundaries, and is therefore more true to life. It does away with
the fragmentation of subject matter that results with the use of other traditional methods.
Because the subject matteris encountered in every step of the unit and because it is
presented as a unified whole, what is taught is learned to the point of mastery.
 15. MORRISON TECHNIQUE -ADVANTAGESThe Morrisonian technique corresponds to
thesteps in the mastery formula.PretestExploration Step TeachPresentation Step
RetestAssimilation / DiagnostictestReteach Organization and Recitation
StepsTestAchievement Test afterRecitation The Morissionian steps are not only logicalbut
also psychologically sound.
 16. MORRISON TECHNIQUE - DISADVANTAGES Not all teachers are capable ofmaking
long range unit plans thatcover a week or more. Teachers may just go through themotions
and leave out the essence. Method alone does not insuremastery.

5. TEAM TEACHING

Team teaching involves a group of instructors working purposefully, regularly, and

cooperatively to help a group of students of any age learn. Teachers together set goals
for a course, design a syllabus, prepare individual lesson plans, teach students, and
evaluate the results. They share insights, argue with one another, and perhaps even
challenge students to decide which approach is better.

Teams can be single-discipline, interdisciplinary, or school-within-a-school teams that

meet with a common set of students over an extended period of time. New teachers
may be paired with veteran teachers. Innovations are encouraged, and modifications in
class size, location, and time are permitted. Different personalities, voices, values, and
approaches spark interest, keep attention, and prevent boredom.

Read more: Team Teaching - Advantages, Disadvantages - Students, Teachers, Teacher,

 and Single -
StateUniversity.com http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2493/Team-
Teaching.html#ixzz4XYyvYH2j

1. Supportive Co-teaching - where the one member of the team takes the lead role
and the other member rotates among students to provide support

2. Parallel Co-teaching - where support personnel and the classroom teacher instruct

different heterogeneous groups of students

3. Complementary Co-teaching - where a member of the co-teaching team does

something to supplement or complement the instruction provided by the other
member of the team (e.g., models note taking on a transparency, paraphrases the
other co-teacher’s statements)

4. Team Teaching - where the members of the team co-teach along side one another
and share responsibility for planning, teaching, and assessing the progress of all
students in the class.

Some co-teaching approaches (e.g., complementary and team teaching) require greater
commitment to, comfort with, and skill in collaborative planning and role release (i.e.,
transferring one’s specialized instructional responsibilities over to someone else). It is
recommended that collaborative teams select among the co-teaching approaches, as
needed, based up the curriculum demands of a unit or lesson and student learning
characteristics, needs, and interests.

Supportive Co- Parallel Co- Complementary Team Teaching

Teaching Teaching
Co-Teaching
 One co-  Co-teachers  The co-  Both co-
teacher is in work with teachers teachers are
the lead role; different share equally
others groups of responsibility responsible for
provide students in the for teaching planning,
support. Who same the whole instruction of
is in lead and room. (There class. One content,
who provides are numerous takes a lead assessment,
support may different content role and grade
change options for and the assignment.
during the arranging the other
lesson. groups.) facilitates  
access to the
    curriculum.  Requires the
greatest
  amount of
planning time,
 One co- trust,
teacher communication,
teaches and
content; the coordination of
other effort.
clarifies,
 paraphrases,
simplifies, or
records
content.

 One co-
teacher may
pre-teach
specific
study or
social skills
and monitors
students’ use
of them; the
other co-
teacher
teaches the
academic
content.

What are potential problems with co-teaching?

Supportive Co- Parallel Co- Complementary Team Teaching
Teaching Cautions Teaching Cautions Co-Teaching Cautions
Cautions
 Beware of the  Beware of  Beware of  Beware of not
“Velcro creating a not monitoring the
effect,” special class monitoring students who
where a within the class the students need it.
supportive and lowering who need it.
co-teacher student  
hovering over achievement  
one or by  Beware of too
selected homogeneously  Beware of much teacher
students, grouping lower too much talk, repetition,
stigmatizing performing teacher talk, and lack of
both students students repetition, student-
and the co- together and lack of student
teacher. (Marzano, student- interaction.
Pickering, & student
  Pollack, 2001, interaction.
p. 84).
 Beware of  
making the  
supportive   Beware of
co-teacher  Beware that “typecasting”
the noise level can the co-
“discipline become teacher
police,” uncomfortably delivering
materials high when content as
copier, or in- numerous the “expert”
class paper activities are or “real”
grader rather occurring in the
 than an same room. teacher.
instructor.
   
 
 Beware failing  Beware of
 Beware of to adequately failing to
ineffective prepare other plan for “role
use of co-teachers to release,” so
expertise of ensure they all co-
supportive deliver teachers get
co-teacher instruction as to teach the
(e.g., special intended, since content
educator) you cannot
monitor each  
  other while you  
all are  
 Beware of simultaneously
resentment if co-teaching.
the skills of
the
supportive
co-teacher
(e.g., special
educator) are
not being
used or the
lead (e.g.,
content
teacher) co-
teacher feels
an unequal
burden of
responsibility.

 Beware of
staying in the
supportive
role, due to
lack of
planning
time.

6. REFELECTIVE APPROACH
(versus Traditional way of following and implementing Lesson Plan)
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.
Reflective teaching is a personal tool that teachers can use to observe and evaluate the way
they behave in their classroom. It can be both a private process as well as one that you
discuss with colleagues. When you collect information regarding what went on in your
classroom and take the time to analyse it from a distance, you can identify more than just
what worked and what didn’t. You will be able to look at the underlying principles and
beliefs that define the way that you work. This kind of self-awareness is a powerful ally for a
teacher, especially when so much of what and how they teach can change in the moment.

Reflective teaching is about more than just summarizing what happened in the classroom. If
you spend all your time discussing the events of the lesson, it’s possible to jump to abrupt
conclusions about why things happened as they did.

Reflective teaching is a quieter and more systemic approach to looking at what happened. It
requires patience, and careful observation of the entire lesson’s experience.

According to Jack Richards,  reflection or “critical reflection, refers to an activity or process

in which an experience is recalled, considered, and evaluated, usually in relation to a
broader purpose. It is a response to past experience and involves conscious recall and
examination of the experience as a basis for evaluation and decision-making and as a
source for planning and action. (Richard 1990)

Bartlett (1990) points out that becoming a reflective teacher involves moving beyond a
primary concern with instructional techniques and “how to” questions and asking “what” and
“why” questions that regard instructions and managerial techniques not as ends in
themselves, but as part of broader educational purposes. Asking “what and why” questions
give us a certain power over our teaching. We could claim that the degree of autonomy and
responsibility we have in our work as teachers is determined by the level of control we can
exercise over our actions. In reflecting on the above kind of questions, we begin to exercise
control and open up the possibility of transforming our everyday classroom life. (Bartlett,
1990. 267)

The process of reflective teaching supports the development and maintenance of

professional expertise.  We can conceptualise successive levels of expertise in teaching –
those that student-teachers may attain at the beginning, middle and end of their courses;
those of the new teacher after their induction to full-time school life; and those of the
experienced, expert teacher. Given the nature of teaching, professional development and
learning should never stop.

How does reflection take place?

Many different approaches can be employed if one wishes to become a critically reflective
teacher, including observation of oneself and others, team teaching, and exploring one’s
view of teaching through writing.

Approaches to Critical reflection:

Peer Observation  – Peer observation can provide opportunities for teachers to view each
other’s teaching in order to expose them to different teaching styles and to provide
opportunities for critical reflection on their own teaching.  Some suggestions for peer
observation:
1. Each participant would both observe and be observed – Teachers would work in
pairs and take turns observing each other’s classes.

2. Pre-observation orientation session – Prior to each observation, the two teachers

would meet to discuss the nature of the class to be observed, the kind of material being
taught, the teachers’ approach to teaching, the kinds of students in the class, typical
patterns of interaction and class participation, and any problems that might be expected.
The teacher being observed would also assign the observer a goal for the observation and a
task to accomplish. The task would involve collecting information about some aspect of the
lesson, but would not include any evaluation of the lesson. Observation procedures or
instruments to be used would be agreed upon during this session and a schedule for the
observations arranged.

3. The observation -The observer would then visit his or her partner’s class and complete
the observation using the procedures that both partners had agreed on.

4. Post-observation: The two teachers would meet as soon as possible after the lesson.
The observer would report on the information that had been collected and discuss it with the
teacher (Richards and Lockhart, 1991).

Benefits:
The teachers identify a variety of different aspects of their lessons for their partners to
observe and collect information on. These include organization of the lesson, teacher’s time
management, students’ performance on tasks, time-on-task, teacher questions and student
responses, student performance during pair work, classroom interaction, class performance
during a new teaching activity, and students’ use of the first language or English during
group work.

The teachers gain a number of insights about their own teaching from their colleague’s
observations and that they would like to use peer observation on a regular basis. They may
also obtain new insights into aspects of their teaching.

Written accounts of experiences

Another useful way of engaging in the reflective process is through the use of written
accounts of experiences. (Powell 1985) and their potential is increasingly being recognized
in teacher education. A number of different approaches can be used.

Self-Reports – Self-reporting involves completing an inventory or check list in which the

teacher indicates which teaching practices were used within a lesson or within a specified
time period and how often they were employed (Pak, 1985).
Self-reporting allows teachers to make a regular assessment of what they are doing in the
classroom. They can check to see to what extent their assumptions about their own
teaching are reflected in their actual teaching practices.

Journal Writing

A procedure which is becoming more widely acknowledged as a valuable tool for developing
critical reflection is the journal or diary. The goals of journal writing are:
1. To provide a record of the significant learning experiences that have taken place

2. To help the participant come into touch and keep in touch with the self-development
process that is taking place for them

3. To provide the participants with an opportunity to express, in a personal and dynamic

way, their self-development

4. To foster a creative interaction

• between the participant and the self-development process that is taking lace

• between the participant and other participants who are also in the process of self-
development

• between the participant and the facilitator whose role it is to foster such development
(Powell, 1985, Bailey, 1990)

Recording Lessons

For many aspects of teaching, audio or video recording of lessons can also provide a basis
for reflection. While there are many useful insights to be gained from diaries and self-
reports, they cannot capture the moment to moment processes of teaching. Many things
happen simultaneously in a classroom, and some aspects of a lesson cannot be recalled. It
would be of little value for example, to attempt to recall the proportion of Yes-No Questions
to WH-Questions a teacher used during a lesson, or to estimate the degree to which teacher
time was shared among higher and lower ability students. Many significant classroom
events may not have been observed by the teacher, let alone remembered, hence the need
to supplement diaries or self-reports with recordings of actual lessons.

Conclusion:
A reflective approach to teaching involves changes in the way we usually perceive teaching
and our role in the process of teaching. Teachers who explore their own teaching through
critical reflection develop changes in attitudes and awareness which they believe can benefit
their professional growth as teachers, as well as improve the kind of support they provide
their students. Like other forms of self-inquiry, reflective teaching is not without its risks,
since journal writing, self-reporting or making recordings of lessons can be time-consuming.
However teachers engaged in reflective analysis of their own teaching report that it is a
valuable tool for self-evaluation and professional growth. Reflective teaching suggests that
experience alone is insufficient for professional growth, but that experience coupled with
reflection can be a powerful impetus for teacher development.