Reflective Collaborative Practices: What Is the Teachers’ Thinking? A Ghana Case
Author(s)
Amoah Samuel Asare*
ABSTRACT
With advances in using the teachers’ classroom as the foreground for teacher improvement, reflective and collaborative activities provide teachers with a positive attitude towards questioning their teaching in a variety of professional development contexts. This study therefore explores how teachers within one school develop their thinking about their practices, if given an opportunity to engage in a planned series of critical dialogues relating to their own classroom teachings. Using a case study approach, four mathematics teachers purposely and through theoretical sampling techniques were selected in a school in Ghana for the study. The field research included interviews and reflective dialogue. Key issues identified include the opportunities to systematically and rigorously diagnose their practices leading to the development of different reflective scales when reflecting. The process was found to be a tool for supporting teachers to critically think which is underpinned by social, political and cultural issues as a process to analyze competing claims and viewpoints. Recommendations for policy and potential areas for further research were also made.
With advances in using the teachers’ classroom as the foreground for teacher improvement, reflective and collaborative activities provide teachers with a positive attitude towards questioning their teaching in a variety of professional development contexts. This study therefore explores how teachers within one school develop their thinking about their practices, if given an opportunity to engage in a planned series of critical dialogues relating to their own classroom teachings. Using a case study approach, four mathematics teachers purposely and through theoretical sampling techniques were selected in a school in Ghana for the study. The field research included interviews and reflective dialogue. Key issues identified include the opportunities to systematically and rigorously diagnose their practices leading to the development of different reflective scales when reflecting. The process was found to be a tool for supporting teachers to critically think which is underpinned by social, political and cultural issues as a process to analyze competing claims and viewpoints. Recommendations for policy and potential areas for further research were also made.
Cite this paper
Asare, A. (2012). Reflective Collaborative Practices: What Is the Teachers’ Thinking? A Ghana Case. Creative Education, 3, 448-456. doi: 10.4236/ce.2012.34069.
Asare, A. (2012). Reflective Collaborative Practices: What Is the Teachers’ Thinking? A Ghana Case. Creative Education, 3, 448-456. doi: 10.4236/ce.2012.34069.
References
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[1] Akyeampong, K., Pryor, J. & Ghartey, A. J. (2006). A vision of successful schooling: Ghanaian teachers’ understanding of learning, teaching and assessment. Comparative Education, 42, 155-176. doi:10.1080/03050060600627936 [2] Amoah, S. A. (2011). The reflective and collaborative practices of teachers in Ghanaian basic schools: A case study. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Nottingham: University of Nottingham. [3] Argyris, C. & Schon, D. A. (1996). Organisational learning II: Theory, methods, and practice. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. [4] Bereiter, C. (2002). Education and mind in the knowledge society. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. [5] Bryman, A. (2008). Social research methods (3nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [6] Comer, J. C. (1980). The influence of mood on student evaluations of teaching. Journal of Educational Research, 73, 229-232. [7] Coyle, D. (2002). The case for reflective model of teacher education in fundamental principles module. Nottingham: University of Nottingham. [8] Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. [9] Day, C. (1999). Professional development and reflective practice: Purposes, processes and partnership. Pedagogy, Culture and Society, 7, 2. [10] Feldman, A. (2007). Validity and quality in action research. Educational Action Research, 15, 21-32. doi:10.1080/09650790601150766 [11] Fielding, M., Brag, S., Craig, J., Cunningham, I., Eraut, M., Gillinson, S., Horne, M., Robinson, C., & Thorp, J. (2005). Factors influencing the transfer of good practice. Research Report, Falmer: University of Sussex & Demos. [12] Fook, J. & Gardner, F. (2007). Practicing critical reflection: A resource handbook. Berkshire: Open University Press. [13] Gallimore, R. & Stigler, J. (2003). Closing the teaching gap: Assisting teachers to adapt to change. In Richardson (Ed.), Whither Assessment (pp. 25-36), London: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. [14] Hatton, N. & Smith, D. (1995). Reflection in teacher education: Towards a definition and implementation. Teaching & Teacher Education, 11, 33-49. doi:10.1016/0742-051X(94)00012-U [15] Heath, C., Crow, T., & Wiles, A. (2004). Analysing interaction: Video, ethnography and situated conduct. In T. May (Ed.), Qualitative research in action. London: Sage. [16] Heikkinen, H. L. T., Hutunen, R., & Syrjala, L. (2007). Action research and narrative: Five principles for validation. Educational Action Research, 15, 5-21. doi:10.1080/09650790601150709 [17] Markham, M. (1999). Through the looking glass: Reflective teaching through a Lacanian lens. Curriculum Inquiry, 29, 55-76. [18] Mattessich, P. W., & Monsey, B. R. (1997). Community building: What makes it work. Saint Paul, MN: Fieldstone Alliance. [19] McLaughlin, M. W., & Talbert, J. E. (2006). The contexts in question: The secondary school workplace. In: McLaughlin, M. W., Talbert, J. E., & Bascia, N. (Eds.), The contexts of teaching in secondary schools. New York: Teachers’ College Press. [20] Minott, M. A. (2006). Reflection and reflective teaching: A case study of four seasoned teachers in the Cayman islands. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Nottingham: University of Nottingham. [21] Osterman, K. F., & Kottkamp, R. B. (1993). Reflective practice for educator: Improving schooling through professional development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press Inc. [22] Rarieya, J. F. A. (2005). Reflective dialogue: What’s in it for teachers? A Pakistan case. Journal of In-Service Education, 31, 313-335. doi:10.1080/13674580500200362 [23] Schon, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. [24] Sherin, M. G., & Hans, S. (2004). Teacher learning in the context of a video club. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20, 163-183. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2003.08.001 [25] Silverman, D. (2006). Interpreting qualitative data. London: Sage Publications. [26] Slote, M. (2010). Reply to Noddings, Darwall, Wren, and Fullinwider. Theory and Research in Education, 8, 187-197. [27] Stark, L. J., Spirito, A., Williams, C. A., & Guevremont, D. C. (2006). Common problems and coping strategies: Findings with normal adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 17, 203-212. doi:10.1007/BF00913794 [28] Taggart, G. L., & Wilson, A. P. (2005). Promoting reflective thinking in teachers. Thousand Oak, CA: Corwin Press. [29] UNESCO Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO PROAP) (2000). Increasing the number of women teachers in rural schools. Bangkok: UNESCO PROAP. [30] Van Manen, M. (1995). On the epistemology of reflective practice. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 1, 33-50. [31] Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods (3rd ed.). London: Sage Publications.