Enhancing professionalism through a professional practice portfolio

Abstract

This paper is a response to Ghaye’s (2010) invitation to consider how reflection might contribute to human flourishing. It reports on a four‐year action research project that investigated the use of a professional practice portfolio in a postgraduate professional development programme, preparing special education resource teachers to undertake a paradigmatically different role to support the inclusion of students with moderate special needs. The portfolio was a prompt for reflection and reflective practice that enhanced the professionalism of the special education teachers through improved practice, development of a theory of practice, and increased clarity and confidence in their role. It is argued that reflection of professionals should be judged by the outcome for them and their clients and that a well‐designed professional practice portfolio can be the prompt necessary for a process of reflection that has positive outcomes.

Keywords:

• portfolio
• professional practice
• reflection
• human flourishing
• paradigm shift

Notes

1. Indigenous people of New Zealand.

2. See Jones, 2009b for detailed account of the impact of the personal theory task.