ABSTRACT

This chapter considers the ways in which reflection can be fostered through writing. Written forms of reflection provide a permanent record of the process and can be easily shared and read by others. According to Burton, reflective writing should be based on the kinds of writing practices which teachers typically use in their professional lives. There are many examples of checklists, pro-formas and forms which are currently used to promote reflection on both pre-and in-service courses and for teachers working alone. Course participants are invited to reflect on their teaching, using comments from their tutor, feedback from peers and their own introspections. Portfolios are often used on assessed courses as a way of enabling teachers to collect evidence over time and then reflect and comment on that evidence as a means of improving their practice. The main advantage of this approach is that writers are able to collect and use evidence and build up a portfolio of material over time.