Reflection: a necessary but not sufficient condition for professional development

TLDR: The need for reflection to be accompanied by confrontation if development is to occur, and alongside this, the negative and positive roles that organisational culture may play in the provision for different kinds and levels of reflection and confrontation as discussed by the authors.

Abstract: Few discussions on professional development occur without some reference to the central role that reflection plays in the learning life of the teacher. It is the sine qua non of the ‘teacher‐researcher’, ‘action research’ and ‘reflective practitioner’ movements. During the last 20 years there has been a growing body of literature and practices which has sought to identify different levels of reflection in which involvement is essential, it is claimed, for the maximising of teacher growth. Yet much of this has failed to consider the need for reflection to be accompanied by confrontation if development is to occur, and alongside this, the negative and positive roles that organisational culture may play in the provision for different kinds and levels of reflection and confrontation. Two key issues are addressed in this paper. The first relates to our understanding and use of reflection—an essential part of the learning process; and the second, to the need for partnerships and coalitions within colla...