ABSTRACT

This chapter deals with examples of what is meant by reflective practice (RP) and highlights its centrality for teacher development and professional practice. One possibility within the frame of RP is for teachers to identify and address issues which are specific to their own context. This is also a central concern of action research, which rests on the premise that teachers can and should investigate their own classrooms. The starting point for action research is the identification of a puzzle or issue; the process continues with data collection, data analysis and finally possible outcomes. One of the key ways in which RPs and reflective procedures can be made more principled and objective is to make the whole process data-led. A dialogic approach to RP addresses the need for more spoken forms of reflection and for a collaborative, rather than individual, approach.