ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY

ISLAMABAD

STUDENT NAME; Areeba Naeem

STUDENT Id; 0000489162

Tutor Name. Mam Shaista Jabeen

Course: Critical Thinking &Reflective Practices

Semester: AUTUMN , 2023

Level: B.Ed (1.5 YeaR)

Assignment No.2
Q.1How does Gibb’s cycle help for making
decision? Explain your answer with working
examples.
Answer :

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle is a systematic process that individuals and teams can
use to reflect upon and learn from their experiences at work. Originally put forth by
Professor Graham Gibbs in his 1988 book, Learn by Doing, the Gibbs Reflective
Cycle is a step-by-step approach to analyzing and understanding the complexities of
workplace situations. The purpose is to gain valuable insights and improve decision-
making in the future.

Gibbs Model of Reflection and its stages :

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle centers on a model that consists of six stages, known as
the Gibbs Model of Reflection. The model outlines the process by which individuals
and teams follow to learn from different experiences at work. Here are the six stages
and a brief description of each:

1. Description
2. Feelings
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 3. Evaluation
4. Analysis
5. Conclusion
6. Action Plan

1. Description

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle starts by objectively describing the situation or

experience that is to be evaluated and reflected upon. In this stage, you will provide
details regarding the context and individuals involved, as well as any relevant
background information.

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2. Feelings

The second step in the Gibbs Reflective Cycle is to explore your emotions during
the experience in question. Here, you will note the positive and negative feelings
you had during the experience. Identifying and acknowledging emotions is critical
to gaining a deeper understanding of the situation.

3. Evaluation

At this stage of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, you break down the experience into two
areas - what went well and what could have been improved. It is in this stage that
you will assess the strengths and weaknesses of your approach, considering both
your actions and the outcomes.

4. Analysis

Now, it’s time to dig deeper into the situation to determine the root cause of the
underlying factors contributing to the outcomes. Here is where you’ll begin to make
sense of what happened by taking the details of what happened (steps one to three)
and the meaning behind it.

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5. Conclusion

Equipped with your analysis of the situation, you will want to summarize the key
learnings from your reflection. Here, you will identify what you learned from this
experience and the insights you will apply to similar situations in the future.

6. Action Plan

The last step of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle is to create an action plan based on your
analysis and conclusions outlining the specific steps to be followed to improve
performance or address any skill gaps. In this final reflection step, you will want
to set measurable goals and define actionable strategies, such as a training plan, to
help you implement the lesson learned and grow as an individual or team

Explanation with working example :

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Now that we understand the Gibbs Reflective Cycle let's go over how you can use
this model to facilitate a team exercise to help your people learn from their
experiences at work. This editable Gibbs Reflective Cycle Template will make
doing so easier as it walks you through the necessary steps and gives you a place to
record the information.

Step 1: Pick the Situation and Detail What Happened

You will likely already have an idea of the situation in which you want your team to
learn from experience. Situations often include when something goes wrong,
a mistake is made, negative feedback is received, there is a conflict, a timeline isn’t
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met, or a goal is not achieved. Once the situation is determined, ask your team a
series of questions to help describe the situation in detail. Here is a list of example
questions you might ask:

• When did this happen?

• Who was involved?
• What happened?
• What was the team’s/individual’s response?
• What was the response of the other people involved?
• What was the outcome of this situation?

Step 2: Explore Feelings and Reactions

The next step is to explore the feelings and reactions related to the situation. The
goal is to bring awareness to how certain feelings may have impacted the experience.
Here is a list of example questions you might ask to encourage this level of
reflection:

• What were your/the team’s feelings during the situation?

• What were your/the team’s feelings before and after the situation?
• What do you think other people were feeling about the situation?
• What do you think they feel about the situation now?
• What were you thinking during the situation?
• What do you think about the situation now that some time has passed?

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Step 3: Evaluate What Worked and What Didn’t

Once the situation has been clearly defined and feelings have been explored, it’s
time to evaluate the situation by looking at the positives and negatives. While it may
be hard, it is important that you and your team are objective and honest in your
evaluation. Here are a few example questions you might ask during this step:

• What worked? What was good about the experience?

• What didn’t work? What was bad about the experience?
• What positive aspects did you, the team, and others contribute to the situation?
• What negative aspects did you, the team, and others contribute to the
situation?
• Was the situation resolved in the end?

Step 4: Determine the Root Cause of the Situation

Next, you will want to identify the root cause of the situation or experience. You
should draw upon theory or literature to help explain what happened. The Niagara
Institute has a robust library of articles on teamwork, leadership, communication,
and conflict management, to name a few. Here are a few questions to ask to help
your team get to the bottom of the root cause:

• Why did things go well/badly?

• Could you/the team respond in a different way?
• What could have been done differently to improve the situation?
• Is there any theory or literature that can explain what happened?
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Step 5: Summarize What Happened and What Was Learned

Once that is complete, you and your team will need to come to a conclusion
regarding what happened and what you have learned from it. Encourage your team
to review the situation again by assessing the information you’ve gathered and
tracked from the previous steps. To get them to do so, ask the following types of
questions:

• What was learned from this situation?

• What could have been done differently to make this a more positive
experience for everyone involved?
• What can you/the team now do better?
• What skills (individual or team) are needed to ensure a better outcome next
time?
• Are there any new processes that should be implemented to ensure a better
outcome?

Step 6: Create An Action Plan

The final step is to create an action plan that will help ensure similar situations are
avoided or handled more effectively in the future. You’ll want to address any skill
gaps, process improvements, or behavioral changes that need to be made. Doing so
will show your leaders and those you lead that you’re proactive in making changes

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 to ensure the outcome of a similar situation in the future will be different. Here are
a few questions you may ask at this point:

• What skills or behaviors need to be developed?

• What plans, policies, or procedures need to be implemented?
• How will you/your team hold each other accountable to ensure the outcome
is different next time?

Q.2 What are the steps of action research? Write

each step in detail.
Answer :
Action research is a strategy that tries to find realistic solutions to organizations’
difficulties and issues. It is similar to applied research.

Action research refers basically learning by doing. First, a problem is identified, then
some actions are taken to address it, then how well the efforts worked are measured,
and if the results are not satisfactory, the steps are applied again.

It can be put into three different groups:

• Positivist: This type of research is also called “classical action research.” It

considers research a social experiment. This research is used to test theories in the
actual world.

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• Interpretive: This kind of research is called “contemporary action research.” It
thinks that business reality is socially made, and when doing this research, it
focuses on the details of local and organizational factors.
• Critical: This action research cycle takes a critical reflection approach to
corporate systems and tries to enhance them.

Stages of action research

All research is about learning new things. Collaborative action research contributes
knowledge based on investigations in particular and frequently useful circumstances.
It starts with identifying a problem. After that, the research process is followed by
the below stages:

• Plan
• Act
• Observe
• Reflect

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Stage 1: Plan

For an action research project to go well, the researcher needs to plan it well. After
coming up with an educational research topic or question after a research study, the
first step is to develop an action plan to guide the research process. The research
design aims to address the study’s question. The research strategy outlines what to
undertake, when, and how.

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Stage 2: Act

The next step is implementing the plan and gathering data. At this point, the
researcher must select how to collect and organize research data. The researcher also
needs to examine all tools and equipment before collecting data to ensure they are
relevant, valid, and comprehensive.

Stage 3: Observe

Data observation is vital to any investigation. The action researcher needs to review
the project’s goals and expectations before data observation. This is the final step
before drawing conclusions and taking action.

Different kinds of graphs, charts, and networks can be used to represent the data. It
assists in making judgments or progressing to the next stage of observing.

Stage 4: Reflect

This step involves applying a prospective solution and observing the results. It’s
essential to see if the possible solution found through research can really solve the
problem being studied.

The researcher must explore alternative ideas when the action research project’s
solutions fail to solve the problem.

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The steps to conducting action research

Action research is a systematic approach researchers, educators, and practitioners

use to identify and address problems or challenges within a specific context. It
involves a cyclical process of planning, implementing, reflecting, and adjusting
actions based on the data collected. Here are the general steps involved in conducting
an action research process:

Identify the action research question or problem

• Clearly define the issue or problem you want to address through your research.
It should be specific, actionable, and relevant to your working context.

Review existing knowledge

• Conduct a literature review to understand what research has already been done
on the topic. This will help you gain insights, identify gaps, and inform your
research design.

Plan the research

• Develop a research plan outlining your study’s objectives, methods, data

collection tools, and timeline. Determine the scope of your research and the
participants or stakeholders involved.

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Collect data

• Implement your research plan by collecting relevant data. This can involve
various methods such as surveys, interviews, observations, document
analysis, or focus groups. Ensure that your data collection methods align with
your research objectives and allow you to gather the necessary information.

Analyze the data

• Once you have collected the data, analyze it using appropriate qualitative or
quantitative techniques. Look for patterns, themes, or trends in the data that
can help you understand the problem better.

Reflect on the findings

• Reflect on the analyzed data and interpret the results in the context of your
research question. Consider the implications and possible solutions that
emerge from the data analysis. This reflection phase is crucial for generating
insights and understanding the underlying factors contributing to the problem.

Develop an action plan

• Based on your analysis and reflection, develop an action plan that outlines the
steps you will take to address the identified problem. The plan should be
specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART goals).
Consider involving relevant stakeholders in planning to ensure their buy-in
and support.

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Implement the action plan

• Put your action plan into practice by implementing the identified strategies or
interventions. This may involve making changes to existing practices,
introducing new approaches, or testing alternative solutions. Document the
implementation process and any modifications made along the way.

Evaluate and monitor progress

• Continuously monitor and evaluate the impact of your actions. Collect

additional data, assess the effectiveness of the interventions, and measure
progress towards your goals. This evaluation will help you determine if your
actions have the desired effects and inform any necessary adjustments.

Reflect and iterate

• Reflect on the outcomes of your actions and the evaluation results. Consider
what worked well, what did not, and why. Use this information to refine your
approach, make necessary adjustments, and plan for the next cycle of action
research if needed.

Remember that participatory action research is an iterative process, and multiple

cycles may be required to achieve significant improvements or solutions to the
identified problem. Each cycle builds on the insights gained from the previous one,
fostering continuous learning and improvement.

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Q.3 Spend a day in the teacher’s staff room and then
present it in the form of reflective writing.
Answer :

When I entered into the teacher's staff room, a sense of anticipation and curiosity
washed over me. This communal area, tucked away from the bustling classrooms,
seemed to encapsulate the collective energy and experiences of the educators within
the school. The room buzzed with conversations, the clatter of dishes, and occasional
laughter, creating an atmosphere that was both comforting and bustling with activity.

Throughout the day, I was granted a unique glimpse into the life of a teacher beyond
the confines of the classroom. The morning commenced with the harmonious sound
of coffee mugs clinking and the delightful aroma of freshly brewed coffee
permeating the air. Adorned with motivational posters and educational charts, the
room transformed into a sanctuary where teachers gathered to exchange their
experiences, ideas, and occasional words of wisdom. Conversations flowed
effortlessly, encompassing the latest teaching strategies and the challenges of
classroom management.

In one corner of the staff room, a spontaneous collaboration space emerged.

Teachers gathered around a table cluttered with papers, textbooks, and laptops, fully
engrossed in planning sessions. Witnessing the collective creativity that blossomed
when educators pooled their ideas and expertise was truly inspiring. This
collaborative spirit extended beyond academic matters, encompassing discussions
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on cultivating a positive school culture, supporting struggling students, and
celebrating achievements.

Lunchtime was a kaleidoscope of personalities and preferences. The aroma of

diverse homemade lunches filled the air as teachers shared culinary delights and
exchanged recipes. Amid the banter and camaraderie, I could sense the building of
a supportive community that extended beyond the classroom. The staff room became
a space not only for professional growth but also for the forging of meaningful
connections.

Afternoon brought a lull in activity as teachers retreated to their laptops for

individual work. Grading papers, responding to emails, and preparing lesson plans
became the focus. The hum of collaboration softened to a background murmur as
each teacher immersed themselves in the tasks at hand. It was a reflective time, an
opportunity to ponder the day's interactions and plan for the challenges and triumphs
ahead.

As the day drew to a close, the staff room buzzed with the energy of farewell
conversations and shared reflections. Teachers packed their bags, exchanged parting
words, and dispersed to their respective classrooms or homes. The staff room, now
quieter, stood as a testament to the dynamic and evolving nature of the teaching
profession.

Reflecting on the day in the teacher's staff room, I realized the significance of this
communal space in shaping the culture of the school. Beyond its practical function

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as a place for lunch and work, the staff room served as a hub for collaboration,
support, and the exchange of ideas. It was a microcosm of the teaching profession,
where individual efforts converged to create a collective force dedicated to the
growth and well-being of both educators and students. The experience left me with
a profound appreciation for the interconnectedness of teachers, the power of
collaboration, and the importance of fostering a positive and supportive educational
community.

Q.4 Prepare a mind map with pictures, headlines

and connections to make your career.
Answer :
A mind map is a non-linear visual diagram that organizes and links the concepts
related to a particular topic. Key ideas branch out directly from the central concept,
and other ideas branch out further from these. This visualization helps order
information into a hierarchy and shows the relationships between different concepts.
The purpose of a mind map is to mirror how you map out the thoughts and ideas you
envision without worrying about their structure, order, or presentation. It helps you
turn a monotonous stream of information into a colorful image that is easier for you
to remember. This picture can help you form new connections between topics and
generate new ideas.
Guide to Understanding Mind Maps :

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Types of mind maps
Here is a brief list of some of the key types of mind maps that you might be familiar
with:

Flowchart
Flowcharts are diagrams that show the separate steps in a sequential process. They
are often used to help teams identify essential steps in a process where it is important
to do things in order. For example, flowcharts are often used in supply chain
management to show the sequence of specific actions that must be taken to deliver
the end product.
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Tree diagram :
Tree diagrams are an excellent option when you need to represent a sequence of
events. For example, machine learning engineers use tree diagrams to build
intelligent systems. Over time, the system learns which branches are most likely to
be correct, and it gradually alters itself to remove unnecessary branches.

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Bubble map
Bubble maps feature a noun that is surrounded by adjectives. They can be used to
develop your thoughts and explore your creativity. For example, business owners
can use bubble maps to come up with new project ideas. They can then share the
bubble map with other team members to collaborate and develop their ideas further.

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When to use a mind map
People often use mind maps when brainstorming and trying to come up with new,
unique ideas. The main reason is that the non-linear structure of mind maps inspires
them to use their creativity. There are many different contexts when this can be
useful, including:
Business planning
Business owners can create a mind map and partition it into different sections
outlining various aspects of business planning, such as financial planning,
management structure, marketing planning, and products and services. This data can
give them a high-level overview of their business and helps them to notice where
there may be gaps in their plan.
Running meetings

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All too often, people spend hours in meetings that ultimately end up with no
actionable outcome. Using mind maps can help attendees quickly organize and stay
on track by providing an easy way for them to look at their notes throughout
meetings. Its non-linear format also makes it easier to record discussions and
highlight priorities.
Project management :
Because project management involves daily decision-making, managers need tools
to help them collect data to think critically and understand problems better. Mind
maps allow managers and their teams to focus on a central idea and brainstorm and
outline critical concepts for any project. They encourage groups to create new plans,
analyze existing ones, and contribute creative ideas and solutions.

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Benefits of using mind maps
Mind maps are an excellent tool when you need to organize your thoughts and ideas.
They help you save time, reduce redundancy, encourage creativity, and streamline
assigning priorities and timelines.

Q.5 Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of

reflective knowledge.
Reflective knowledge aims to exclude luck of the epistemic ally apt formation of
true belief. This level provides a higher quality to the knowledge. Sosa defines meta-

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knowledge in this way: “Reflective knowledge goes beyond animal knowledge, and
requires also an apt.

Most of us are aware of the term reflective teaching and its benefits to teachers and
students. It uses reflective teaching methods to convey, evaluate, and deliver
information to the target students. It is a continuous cycle, mainly to strive for
positive results.

However, reflective teaching gives way to improvement for both teachers and students
in more than one way.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Reflective Teaching on Teachers and

Students
Teachers can use this method to improve their teaching process, including better
ways to instruct, conduct self-assessment sessions, and focus on improvement and
problem-solving. It should also focus on developing the analytical skills of a student.
Over time, the technique will help teachers develop a critical eye for every problem.

Advantages of Reflective Teaching

1. Professional Growth
Teaching promotes personal growth, and you can know your strengths and
weaknesses. Reflective practices promote professional development.

Prepare and analyze the class sessions. Note the goals, and evaluate the results. Start
with a reflective journal and write your thoughts after every session.

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2. Give Scope for Innovation
It is not a complicated practice, rather helps an organized teacher keep track of their
lessons or the way they prepare them. After you teach a session, assess the teaching.

Note down the positive experience and challenges that came along from the session.
Take time to work on the problems by using different teaching methods. This is what
leads to innovation, and so, both are complementary.

3. Facilitates Ways for Teaching

The practice should ensure that the learning experience is good for every student.
Teachers should try to create an interactive learning environment, and motivation is
the key to success.

The reflecting method helps understand what interests the student and how to change
your delivery of the message

4. Boost the Student-Teacher Relationship

Teachers value their bonding with students, and it helps them understand things
better. The practice helps cultivate relationships. The technique focuses on the
individual learner, understanding their needs, and helping them.

Use strategy to analyze performance, behavior, and needs. Students are likely to
perform better if they are in an enjoyable classroom environment.

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5. Instill Interest in Lessons
Make lessons interesting, and retain the attention of every student in a class.
Implement new reflective strategies to solve problems and liven up every classroom
session.

This encourages every student to participate in class actively. Start class with a
refresher session and review the last session. Try to do it in a fun and engaging way
to include every student. Ask questions and feedback to understand the problem
areas and improve them.

6. Make Problem Solving Easy

Experienced teachers develop ways of troubleshooting and facing challenges
effectively. The practice help teacher devises the latest strategies and offers
personalized help to struggling students.

This helps a student cope with problems and learn techniques, and it is beneficial for
both teacher and student to improve intellectual stability.

Ask any teacher, and they will certainly tell you how they are always looking for
ways to improve their craft.

If you are one of them, in this book titled “Becoming a Critically Reflective
Teacher,” author Stephen D. Brookfield provides a proven framework for teachers
to follow so that they can reflect on their way of teaching the students and identify
required areas for growth.

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Here are some ways this book can help you to identify areas for growth and make
the necessary changes to become the best teacher you can be:

• Brookfield provides teachers with tools and strategies for reflection in each
section of this book. He also shares his experiences as a teacher and how he
has used reflection to improve his practice.
• Another most beneficial aspect of Brookfield’s book is how he breaks down
the process of reflection. He provides specific questions for teachers to ask
themselves when reflecting on a critical incident.
• He also offers guidance on journaling about your reflections and using those
reflections to inform your practice.

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Disadvantages of Reflective Teaching

Students and teachers often feel ill-equipped to go through the assessment. Both new
and experienced teachers can perceive it differently.

1. Not all teachers can under the process easily.

2. Some teachers may be uncomfortable evaluating their performance.
3. The teaching practice is time taking.
4. The teachers confuse about which aspects to reflect on.
5. The strategies may include reasoning and thinking, which is critical for
reflective teaching.

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Teachers with heavy workloads will not pay attention to these latest techniques.
However, when the teacher finds a problem addressed by a student and doesn’t know
how to resolve it, this can become challenging for teachers. Trying any reflective
technique can be time-consuming if they aren’t aware of it from the beginning.

If teachers are convinced to introduce the practices in teaching. It will benefit both
students and teachers immensely. Set measurable benchmarks and focus on self-
reflection that depends on subjective feelings. With better self-understanding, one
can improve performance and perception of capacity and traits.

Reflective Learning be Advantageous for Students – Let’s See How

This form of teaching is an essential concept, with the main goal of analyzing the
teaching method with reflection. It helps one become a good teacher who can help
students ensure they have their best minds in their studies. Include the reflective
techniques can benefit students in the following :

1. Improve a Student’s Performance

Individual students will reflect in every class season and identify and improve their
problems betters. Students following reflective practice can work on metacognitive
skills. A student can have a deeper understanding of a topic, stimulate their ability,
and formulate solutions wisely.

2. Help Students Engage More in Class

If a lesson sounds dull or uninspiring, students can give feedback and use their ideas
to make a lesson interesting. They can learn difficult topics easily as they interact in
a learning process.
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As they give feedback, it shows how well they are learning. So, teachers should
encourage every student group to develop ideas, raise queries and be active in-class
sessions. Try creative activity sessions to retain students’ attention more for the
classroom activities.

3. Develop Critical Thinking and Skills to Cope up

Reflective learning helps improve skills to solve problems and face challenges
wisely. Students may face difficulties when learning new things and reflection helps
improve their ability to solve the issues and stimulate their cognitive and analytical
skills.

Ask students to develop creative solutions in which they have to use the critical
thing. As they focus on troubles more, they will learn to cope with them by
maintaining calm during difficult situations.

4. Motivate a Student More

The latest learning practices should help motivate students and help them overcome
their learning problems. The teacher should improve their relationships with students
and empower them to control and motivate them.

Motivation can help students learn successfully and perform better in class. It is
reflective learning that fosters a productive learning environment for the good of an
individual learner.

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5. Impacts on Overall Effectiveness

Teachers should encourage group learning to focus on overall effectiveness. In this,

students share thoughts, process new ideas, and encourage reflection among each
other.

These practices improve assimilation, boost motivation levels, and group tasks
become interesting, engaging, and rewarding for students.

Benefits of Reflective Teaching For Teachers

Teachers benefit from reflective teaching practices in a variety of ways. A major part
of this practice includes planning your sessions, analyzing, and improving your
previous sessions to improve your delivery techniques and develop a better
understanding of your topics and yourself, as a teacher. If you are looking to improve
your teaching experience, reflective practices have a lot to offer.

1. Professional Growth
Reflective teaching can help to promote your professional growth. By carrying out
an extensive inner thought process, you can have a much better understanding of
your strengths and weaknesses. Studies such as this article entitled Reflective
Practices: A Means to Teacher Development (2017), demonstrates that reflective
teaching helps to facilitate professional growth. You can start by practising simple
reflective practices such as preparing and then analyzing your class sessions. By
noting down your goals and the results, you can use the information to adjust your
teaching routine, modify teaching techniques and improve your strategies when
addressing the class.

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Reflective teaching really does help and the benefits are both in terms of short-term
and long-term. Simply begin with a reflective journal and write down your
thoughts after each session. Recording certain activities or your sessions through
video can also be an awesome idea, but this might cost you a bit more in terms of
time and investment.

2. Enhance Innovation
Reflective teaching is not a complicated practise. As an organised teacher, you
normally prepare and keep track of your lessons, right? Or perhaps those lessons
were prepared for you? Lucky you! After you have taught your lesson, take a few
minutes to assess your teaching. Do this the very same day, since your feelings and
memories will be fresh. Be sure to note down the positive experiences, along with
the more challenging ones. Later on, you can take the time to find ways to improve
those problem areas.

You can also use reflective teaching methods to search for innovations on how
to improve your teaching methods. Reflective teaching and innovation fully
complement each other. For instance, if you notice that your students’ interest is
waning, perhaps you can use screen projectors, online platforms, and web
applications to improve your delivery and capture their interest. You could also use
the same methods to administer tests and evaluations.

A major component of reflective teaching is based on needs assessments.

Recognizing that your methods are perhaps falling short is an important part of the
process. Research and networking will help you to keep up with new and innovative
teaching techniques, while expanding your professional network with new

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colleagues across the globe. You can do this by joining and learning from dedicated
forums like the one our our site.

3. Facilitate Teaching
Teaching can be quite a challenge. It can be challenging to plan lessons, teach classes
and then manage and assess your students’ progression. Successful teachers strive
to learn all of their student’s names, while creating a safe and secure classroom
setting. They also try to ensure that all of the students are following along and
keeping in line with the program. Reflective practice will ensure that each student
is benefitting from the learning experience. Motivation is the key to a successful
learning environment for both the student and the teacher. Engaging your students
will improve the overall experience. For instance, if individual participation is a
problem, the students may prefer to solve problems in small groups. Reflective
teaching techniques can really help you to understand student preferences and make
it easier for you to deliver your message.

4. Boost Teacher-Student Relationship

Teachers really value their relationships with their students. If you want to help your
students to understand your teaching methods, it is important to cultivate positive
individual relationships with your students. Reflective teaching practises really
help you to think about each student as an individual learner with unique
needs. Employing various reflective teaching strategies can help you to analyze
your students’ performance, behavior, and needs, while learning more about your
students’ personalities and traits. Such information can be very beneficial to your
overall teaching experience, both in the short and long term. Your students are more
likely to perform better if they feel safe and comfortable, and enjoy your teaching
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sessions. You will find it easier to engage directly with your students and chances
are good that you will also really begin to enjoy teaching itself and become more
motivated to continue.

5. Make Lessons More Lively and Interesting

A dull class is every teacher’s nightmare. You know the feeling and the number of
times you look at the clock. To avoid this experience, you can implement some
reflective teaching strategies to troubleshoot and liven up your classroom. We
all dream of a lively classroom where students actively contribute to the class.

For example, you can start your classes with a “refresher session” and review
what was taught in the last lesson. A fun way to do this is in a game show or
competition setting. Your students can give their ideas, raise queries, and contribute
towards answering your questions. Not only does this jog their memory, but it also
makes the class lively, fun, and engaging. Take the time to review the material and
assess their knowledge recall. Students are more likely to perform better if they are
allowed to actively ask questions, or give feedback on the information they are
learning. As a teacher, you also have a unique opportunity to hear about new
perspectives from your students.

6. Enhance Problem Solving

Experienced teachers would agree that a major part of teaching includes strong
coping skills. Learning to solve problems and meet challenges effectively and
efficiently is of the utmost importance. Reflective teaching practices can help you
improve your skills in solving problems and challenges. For instance, a teacher can

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use previous teaching experience (their own, or a colleague’s) to search for solutions
for students who face learning problems.

The practice allows teachers (and tutors) to devise strategies and map out
personalised techniques for their struggling students. By drawing on your
knowledge and past experience, you become more resourceful and confident when
obstacles arise in the classroom (source) Reflective teaching encourages you to learn
to cope with problems (and not flee them) as you teach. It also incites your creativity
and problem-solving skills. As a teacher, this is not only beneficial, but most
significantly crucial for intellectual stability and a long, healthy career.

7. Boost Classroom Democracy

Encouraging a democratic environment within your classroom has its benefits. You
can interact more freely with your students, raise issues, and deliver knowledge
much easier. Democracy within the class environment also makes it easier for your
students to open discussions with you or between themselves. Having a
democratic environment includes adopting and including the principles of
democracy within your classroom. This can include respecting human rights,
equality, freedom, while discussing intercultural differences and shared cultural
values. As a teacher, this can help you to prepare your students for the outside world
and allow them to think critically and interact with more respect for cultural
differences both inside and outside the classroom environment.

Benefits of Reflective Learning For Students

Students can also benefit from using reflective practices in their studies. In this
context, reflection includes, analyzing, and improving learning acquisition to

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improve knowledge assimilation, while developing an improved level of
understanding of the lessons and topics. Including reflective learning strategies in
your lesson plans will benefit students in the following ways:

8. Improve Student Performance

Student performance can be improved by using reflective learning practices.
Since individual students can reflect on class sessions, they will identify, and
improve on their weaknesses to ameliorate their overall performance in a topic.
According to research such as The Effects of Student Reflection on Academic
Performance and Motivation by Derek Cavilla (source) students who use reflective
practices develop metacognitive skills, which are very important transversal life
skills. Reflection can help you to obtain a deeper understanding of a concept or a
topic, while reflective practices stimulate your ability to remember difficult topics
and formulate solutions, in moments of crisis. Students can use reflective practices
to improve their performance in different subjects by using a reflective learning
diary to note down key theories, formulas, and lessons. It is also very important to
note down areas of difficulty. For teachers, these reflective learning diaries
provide valuable insights into what works well and what does not work in your
teaching techniques and lessons.

9. Boost Engagement in Class

Students detest dull classes, as much as their teachers do. In the case of a less than
inspiring lesson, students can provide productive feedback for teachers, by using
their reflective learning diary to express their ideas or suggestions. Students are
much more likely to understand difficult topics if they are active in their learning

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process. By providing such important feedback, they feel that they have a say in how
they are learning.

For example, it is important to vary the rhythm of the class from week to week. Why
not consider using brainstorming sessions or mind maps to recall what was done in
a previous lesson. While working in small groups, the students are free to be
innovative and creative in their presentation styles. Each student or group can share
their ideas, raise queries, and contribute.

In this flipped classroom setting, the roles are reversed and the students become the
teachers since they are given the floor to explain what was taught to them. This
unexpected turn of events can surprise the students and make the lesson much more
interactive and engaging. Active learning is not only about assimilating knowledge
and practical theory, it is also about actively assuming one’s responsibility in the
learning process. Knowledge is power; however sharing your knowledge with
others is even more powerful.

10. Develop Critical Thinking and Coping Skills

For students, reflective learning can help improve their skills in solving problems
and challenges. Most students face many different challenges in their attempts to
learn new concepts, lessons, subjects, etc. Using reflection will improve their
problem-solving abilities and stimulate their cognitive thinking and analytical skills.

For instance, when faced with problems or questions related to coursework, students
can formulate and note down the issue and then search for creative solutions, such
as asking a classmate or friend for assistance or advice. Developing critical thinking
and coping skills will greatly benefit their ability to focus and understand their
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studies. By noting down troublesome areas, they will be more free to learn and
concentrate on finding the appropriate solutions. This will definitely have an effect
on their performance and confidence levels (Critical thinking and reflective practice
The role of information literacy, Monica Vezzosi, source). Students who wish to
improve their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as their creativity
levels should strive to adopt reflective practices as part of their study routines.

11. Enhance Student Motivation

Motivation is the motor of our classrooms. It is also very important to students.
Students who lack motivation can exhibit poor performance and encounter problems
with learning acquisition. This can sometimes lead to absence and erratic behaviour
such as overall indifference or skipping a few classes, here and there. For students
who lack motivation and investment, reflective learning practices can encourage
them to face and overcome their learning issues and problems.

Studies show that reflection can have a direct impact on motivation and performance
levels. In using reflective learning techniques to improve student
motivation, teachers can improve relations with their students. They can
empower their students to take control of the situation by encouraging them to adopt
an analytical approach to learning. In critically thinking about their learning process,
students are able to better understand themselves, from their personalities, to their
limits and behaviour patterns. A motivated student who is successfully learning
is more likely to perform better in class. Those who are less motivated may need
some assistance in order to take charge and assume more responsibility in the
learning process. In this way, reflective learning strategies foster a productive
learning environment for the individual learner and class as a whole.
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12. Improve Overall Effectiveness
Teachers who encourage students to form learning groups may find the overall
experience is much more effective if the students include reflection as part of their
routine. Learning groups are effective, since they create peer forums to share
thoughts, process new information, and encourage interaction in a controlled
learning environment. This type of activity enhances the development of critical
thinking and analytical skills.

The End

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