Fostering reflective practice in Post Graduate Certificate in Education students through the use of reflective journals. Developing a typology for reflection

Figures & data

Figure 1. Methodology for creating constructs.

Table 1. Reflective writing typology

Level of reflective writing	Explanation of criteria
Level 4 Description heavy narrative – The writing tells a story using a logical sequence of thought. The writing is a commentary or description of the issue being addressed. Comments concentrate on the role of the teacher and how effective the teaching is rather than on the pupils’ learning. The writing lacks a self-awareness, there is no questioning of why things happened or looking for answers to the problems. The writing is mainly a low-level evaluation of what has happened	Reflections focus on how to structure their lessons and how to gain control of the classroom. At this stage, many are not really aware of the impact that their structures have on the pupils or how their decisions impact upon pupil progress. They can identify what went badly and some also identify, with confidence, their strengths but most are still very descriptive in their evaluation and many fail to make the connection between their practice and pupil learning and progress. The descriptors used reflect this emphasis on them as the teacher and what they are doing rather than a clear understanding of the wider implications of their practice.
Level 3 – Self-questioning – Some questions are posed and the implications of these on their practice are considered. Starting to understand that the teacher’s actions can impact upon their pupils’ learning. They are aware of the bigger picture and are starting to make some connections. There is no real consideration to answering the questions posed.	There is a growing awareness that it is not all about them as a teacher. They start to develop a questioning style to their lesson evaluations, they are starting to ask why things happened rather than just acknowledging that they did happen. They are developing a growing awareness of how what they do in the classroom has an impact on pupils’ learning. They are making the connections between what they do and what happens in the classroom and exploring how to manage these impacts to promote pupil progress and learning.
Level 2 – Meta-cognition – They pose questions and answers, are aware of the importance of professional dialogue to improve their practice. They are starting to formulate a greater understanding of the processes involved in teaching and are making links to the wider pedagogy. They are developing a wider vocabulary for teaching and learning. They are more focused on the process of pupil learning rather than the teachers teaching.	This requires a sophisticated way of analysing what you are doing. The ability to not only ask questions but to come up with a range of possible answers which they then consider in detail and use to develop their practice further. They have developed a heightened awareness of how the theory and pedagogy can have an impact upon their practice and explore a range of ideas before deciding on the best course of action. They recognise how the pupils learn and how best to improve their teaching using not just their detailed reflections but also data collected both by outside agencies and their own marking and assessment. They confidently use research terminology to describe and explain what is happening in their lessons and how that will impact upon future planning.
Level 1 -Wider awareness Have a heightened self-awareness and are able to link their own practice to the pedagogy and practice of others. They develop a deep understanding of theory and practice and are able to refine their practice to take account of this. They understand and can make connections between policies, government documentations, school priorities and their teaching.	It is expected that a larger number will achieve this level during reflective discussions than in the written form. They will have developed a detailed understanding of theory and practice and how the two are explicitly linked. They will be able to apply the theory confidently to their practice and reflect in detail on how the theory has impacted upon what happens in their classroom and how to refine the theories so they can be fully applied to their individual practice. They display an understanding of the wider policies in education and how they impact upon practice both in and out of the classroom. This includes a well-developed self-awareness of local, regional and national directives and how they impact upon the classroom teaching and the teaching profession in general.

Figure 2. Proforma for reflection incident analysis.