TITLE:
Learning How to Teach English in Elementary School: The Role of Reflective Teaching in Training Elementary School Teachers
AUTHORS:
Xiaoyang Shu
KEYWORDS:
Reflective Teacher, Reflective Teaching, Action Research, Professional Development
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.4 No.5,
May
16,
2017
ABSTRACT: Adopting a popular
research method—a quality research arisen in the field of
social science research, the paper regards four trainee teachers as the
research object and reports on how four trainee teachers responded to a short
introductory teacher training program (the training program for elementary
school English teachers in Yushan county in Jiangxi Province) which mainly
focuses on practical teaching skills. With this action research, the research
gives an account of how trainee teachers reflect on their learning, how their
ideas and beliefs about teaching develop during the program and how the tutors
reflect on their teaching. In summary, reflective teaching fosters professional
growth and development, critical thinking, self-assessment, and self-directed
learning. It promotes the development of new knowledge, leads to broader
understanding and creates greater self-awareness. It facilitates selecting from
many ideas, helps challenge one’s current conceptions of teaching and learning,
and assists in identifying how these affect classroom decision-making. Therefore,
reflective teaching, with school’s involvement, is an invaluable tool in
facilitating life-long learning and professional growth.