Levels in reflection: core reflection as a means to enhance professional growth

Abstract

Reflection is currently a key concept in teacher education. The reflection process is often described in terms of a cyclical model. In the present article, we explain how such a model can be used for supporting student teachers’ reflection on practical situations they are confronted with, and on their behaviour, skills and beliefs in such situations. In some cases, however, more fundamental issues appear to influence teachers’ practical functioning. For example, their self‐concept can have a decisive influence on the way they function, or they may do what is expected of them, and yet not feel truly involved. In such cases, a more fundamental form of reflection is needed, which in this article we refer to as ‘core reflection’. The focus on core reflection concurs with the recent emphasis in psychology on attending to people’s strengths rather than their deficiencies.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Leen Don, Bob Koster, Ellen Nuyten, Jeannette den Ouden, Anke Tigchelaar, and Heleen Wientjes for their comments on a previous version of this article. Thanks go to Patrice Verstegen and Anton Retel Helmrich, two Dutch teacher educators, for providing excerpts from their logbooks, written within the context of professional development courses for teacher educators.

Notes

For more information about these training courses for teacher educators, see Korthagen et al. (2001, pp. 239–253).

The approach described in the present article has to a large extent been influenced by Almaas’ s so‐called ‘Diamond approach’ (see, for example, Almaas, 1986). He places great emphasis on the importance of getting into touch with one’s own ‘essence’, in order to transform one’s personality from the inside.

Walsh (1992, p. 30) says: ‘State‐dependent communication may be particularly limited if the receiver of the communication has never experienced the state from which the communication is coming’. See also Tart (1983).

In our view it is not so much the negative feelings as such that cause a kind of tunnel vision, but the fixation on these feelings. Negative feelings can also be used as an important incentive to focus on one’s ideal, and this supports one’s awareness of new possibilities.