چکیده:
Reflective teaching, which has gained the status of an integral element of teacher pedagogy, is still an elusive concept, probably because it is merely attainable when teachers are provided with opportunities for building professional knowledge and for showing reflective teaching practices. The present study aimed at examining the English language teachers’ perception of their level of reflection and the way their perceptions were realized in practice. Adopting a multi-method design, the study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, data were elicited form 60 EFL teachers using a questionnaire (Akbari, Behzadpoor & Dadvand, 2010). In the second phase, six teachers were randomly selected from among the surveyed teachers and their teaching practices were observed. The record of the observations was, then, analyzed using the seating chart technique to find patterns in the observed teachers’ questioning practice as a sign of their degree of reflectivity. The results revealed a relatively low level of reflection with the teachers under study tending to rely more on their own rationality in teaching. It is argued that for teachers to develop desirable levels of pedagogic integrity, they should involve themselves more in exploring their students’ learning styles and critical aspects of the teaching context.
خلاصه ماشینی:
The importance of reflective teaching is further stressed by the fact that teacher education researchers have shown growing research interest in a wide range of reflective practice issues such as teachers’ professional role identities and their reflective practice (Farrell, 2011); reflective teaching constraints, challenges, and experiences (Kuit & Reay, 2001; Wolfensberger et.
al, 2010); developing English language teaching reflection inventory (Akbari, Behzadpoor, & Dadvand, 2010); case studies on reflective practice in an educational program (Liou, 2001); recruiting different instruments in reflective practices such as journal writing, peer videoing, research journal and action research protocols (Abednia, Hovassapian, Teimournezhad & Ghanbari, 2013; Harford & MacRuairc, 2008); and awareness-raising on being reflective teachers (Kabilan, 2007).
, 2010) and through classroom observation, this study investigated Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions of their level of reflection and the way it was realized in asking questions as an important aspect of teaching practice in English language private institutes.
The questionnaire items categorized into five sections Components Questions Definition Practical 1-6 Actual act of reflection by using different tools, such as keeping journals, talking to colleagues Cognitive 7-12 Conscious efforts for professional development by attending conferences and reading professional books and journals Learner 13-15 Deals with knowledge of learners and their affective/ cognitive states Meta- Cognitive 16-22 Deals with teachers’ knowledge of their personality, their definition of learning and teaching, their view of their profession Critical 23-29 Deals with socio-political dimension of teaching In the second phase of the study, the data were collected through observing one session of six teachers using a seating chart.