Rethinking Reflection: Teachers' Critiques

Abstract

This article presents findings from a study conducted with a teacher focus group asked to read and discuss their responses to selected published teacher narratives of reflective practice. The teachers challenged features of practitioner reflection presented in several of the reading selections as not representative of how they experienced reflection in practice. In this study, the teachers' critiques were not viewed as anti-intellectual, lazy, or provincial. Rather, the researcher used reader response theory to frame the teachers' critiques as informed feedback that needs the inquiry and input of teacher educators. The findings invite consideration of the unintended consequences of these representations for practitioners and scholars, especially in an age of emphasis on standards and accountability.