Minott, Mark Anthony
(2006)
Reflection and Reflective Teaching
A Case Study of Four Seasoned Teachers in the Cayman Islands.
PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
Abstract
This research was motivated by my personal desire to learn more about reflective teaching, and by the fact that a number of local researchers in the Cayman Islands highlighted the need to accumulate a body of knowledge addressing local issues in all disciplines, including teaching and learning. The purpose of this investigation was to provide a practically adequate understanding of lesson planning, implementation, and evaluation from the perspective of selected seasoned teachers in the Islands and their use of elements of reflective teaching in these areas.
This qualitative instrumental case study employed a critical-realist philosophic stance. Six broad research questions guided the study. Participants included four seasoned teachers. The field research included interviews and documentary analysis. Interviews focused on participants'experience and observations, regarding the research areas. Documents, in the form of lesson plans, were used to confirm or make findings, more or less plausible. Interview transcripts were analysed to determine similarities and differences in respondents' perspectives, and issues warranting further attention.
I ended the study by summarising what I perceived was the respondents' practically adequate understanding of the areas being researched. In addition, I made two major conclusions, regarding reflective teaching. One, how the respondents carried out their role as lesson planners, implementers, and evaluators, resulted from a dynamic relationship between their teaching philosophy and/or belief, personal choice, mood and the varied contextual constrains such as administratively decreed policies and heavy workload. I then made a case for the relevance and importance of reflection in coping with, understanding, and effectively using this relationship in the teaching/learning process.
Two, the respondents employed their practical knowledge or experience of what works,and generally, they were found to exercise degrees of reflectivity that is, being 'more or less'reflective about their teaching.
Limitations of the study were stated and avenue for further work suggested.
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