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【Abstract】This article focus on the reflective account of an English teacher learning and teaching in higher education with the British post-graduate certificate program of the Yunnan Agriculture University. As a practitioner for many years in English learning and teaching for many years, it reflects in four fields.
【Key words】Reflection, Practitioner, Account, Higher education
【中图分类号】G623.31 【文献标识码】A 【文章编号】1009-9646(2009)03(a)-0201-02
1 Introduction
Since I have an appointment with P.G Cert at Yunnan Agriculture University, My time here as a university teacher is exciting and rewarding, I do recognize, however, that it will be challenging and, at times, difficult. I regard it as a new commence of my teaching career because engaging in a process of continual improvement of my learning and teaching practice has many advantages and rewards. Improving my learning and teaching practice will result in enhanced student learning and engagement, as well as increased personal and professional satisfaction with my teaching role. Appropriately documented, this process of continual improvement of my learning and teaching practice may also provide material in support of my academic professional development and evidence for promotion. The continual improvement cycle for my learning and teaching practice will be specific to my discipline and the students I am working with, and it will also be influenced by my personal and professional priorities.
This article will present a summary of my development as a reflective practitioner over the past one-year periods since appointed with P.G Cert in Higher Education course at Yunnan Agriculture University. It will provide an evaluation of my professional development, particularly highlighting on those successful experiences engagement in and development of learning and teaching practice.
2 Critical Reflection
I gain many insights into my learning and teaching practice through the process of critical reflection. In the past of my learning and teaching, I can reflect and become excited sometimes, I think it is a common sense. When I was reflecting in action, I do not know and realize there was a theory to underpin this concept. Now I know that it is a very useful and powerful skill in my learning and teaching. This is demonstrated by a model proposed by Boud, Keogh, and Walker where reflection involves "returning to the experience, attending to the feelings and re-evaluating the experience based on current knowledge and intent, and integrating this new knowledge into your conceptual framework". This is also demonstrated by another model developed by Kolb and Fry. These models demonstrate the cyclic nature of reflective practice, and Biggssuggests that an effective way to formally encourage and direct reflective practice is as action research which is "being systematic about changing your teaching and making sure the changes are in the right direction; that your students are now learning better than they used to". Another important element is that reflection is not just about the individual and, when used effectively, can enhance the development of communities of practice. When our reflection is cyclical, our practice can develop into a systematic inquiry that begins alone with personal reflection on our own learning and teaching experiences, but becomes collective when informed by our interactions with colleagues, students, and the theoretical literature.
Most importantly, reflection helps us to develop our own learning and teaching framework. Brookfield proposes that this framework: allows us to consciously develop our own repertoire of strategies and techniques to draw upon in our teaching, which are relevant to our particular context and discipline; helps us take informed actions that can be justified and explained to others and that we can use to generate answers to teaching problems; allows us to adjust and respond to issues and problems. For instance, rather than being devastated by a poor teaching evaluation, it allows us to investigate and understand what underlies these evaluations and to take appropriate action, which might be to adjust our teaching; helps us to become aware of our underlying beliefs and assumptions about learning and teaching so we understand why we do what we do and what might need to change; helps to promote a positive learning environment. Through reflection, our teaching becomes responsive to student feedback and needs, which can serve to build trust in students when they see their feedback is valued and taken seriously through changes to teaching; helps us to locate our teaching in the broader institutional, social, and political context and to appreciate the many factors that influence student learning. In this way, reflection helps us to keep our perspectives and to avoid blaming ourselves for every problem that arises in our classrooms.
3 Peer Teaching Observation Activity
Peer observation is a method of gaining feedback on my teaching. Generally speaking, it involves a colleague observing my learning and teaching practice with the aim of offering me constructive feedback on what I am doing well and what I should improve. In some cases, peer observation might involve a reciprocal arrangement in which I also observe my colleague's teaching. The peer observation relationship usually begins with a discussion about the areas of my learning and teaching practice on which I would like feedback. These preliminary discussions might be more or less formal, depending on the context in which the peer observation is taking place – that is, the peer observation might occur as part of personal development activities I have initiated myself, or it might occur as part of a school's support for learning and teaching evaluation. The discussions are followed by the observation of my learning and teaching session and then by a follow-up meeting in which I discuss both my own reflections on the session as well as my colleague's observations.
3.1 Before the class
Identify the key issues for feedback in relation to the type of class that I wish my colleague to observe-for example, encouraging interaction in large classes; dealing with diversity of background/knowledge/skills within the class; encouraging peer learning and discussion in a large tutorial group; structuring a lecture; engaging students in a large class, and so on.
3.2 During the class
(1)As part of his/her observation, I might also ask my colleague to reflect on how I:
introduced the class.
maintained student interest, structured the class, encouraged interactivity and collaboration between students, encouraged a climate of enquiry, active learning, reflection and checked for understanding.
at the end of the class ensured that learning from the class was summarized and linked to previous/future topics.
(2)What surprised my colleague most in the approach I took to the learning and teaching activity?
(3)What did my colleague think was most relevant in the approach I took to the learning and teaching activity?
(4)What puzzled or confused my colleague most in the approach I took to the learning and teaching activity?
3.3 After the class
This is my opportunity to share reflections and observations, to raise questions, and to explore my approach to learning and teaching
4 Scholarly approach to learning and teaching
P.G Cert also helps me to develop a scholarly approach to learning and teaching. It is an important shift for me. My understanding for scholarly approach to learning is that not only focuses on best practice, but also focuses on the theory or philosophy that underpinning the best practice. Scholarly teaching is an approach to teaching that focuses on the learning experience of my students where teaching skills are continually improved through reflection, knowledge of current ideas about teaching, and peer collaboration. As a university educator, continual improvement of my learning and teaching practice is necessary. Just as student learning involves changing the ways students understand, experience, or conceptualize the world, quality teaching implies constantly being open to changing how we think about and experience teaching.
It is important to embed the qualities of continual improvement into my portfolio. Highlight how I have reflected upon my students' learning, my teaching, and my curriculum in order to identify strengths and areas for improvement. For example, express how you have used this information to further plan and implement strategies for improvement. My teaching portfolio will lack credibility if I do not substantiate my claims by providing evidence of a developmental process that is consistent with the views and ideas I express elsewhere in my portfolio, particularly in my philosophy of learning and teaching.
5 Developing a Teaching Portfolio
P.G Cert course also helps me how to develop and maintain my teaching portfolio. A teaching portfolio is a document that systematically presents my learning and teaching activities and achievements within the context of my learning and teaching philosophy, its application, and its outcomes. It focuses on: my defining attitudes, beliefs, and approaches as a teacher; the process by which I continually improve upon my teaching skills and course content; how I support the provision of high-quality learning and teaching by others.
Each portfolio is different and unique. It reflects my own educational practice as a scholarly teacher. It just equals the situation of a project. Secondly, the development of the portfolio can best be achieved in collaboration with others because colleagues can provide invaluable input and a critical perspective. I know that the process of building my teaching portfolio will help me to reflect on and continually improve my teaching, and allow me to acknowledge my strengths as an educator. Importantly, it will provide opportunities for building collegial relationships and stimulating debate around learning and teaching at YAU so that to make my educational practice, its effectiveness in enhancing my students learning. Finally I come to realize that maintaining a high-quality environment of learning and teaching needs everyone’s contribution.
6 Summary
This account gave me a chance to look back on my learning and teaching in higher education with the flow of P.G Cert course to reach to current thinking in higher education, teaching is defined as the facilitation of student learning. It embodies all that we do “to make student learning possible.”. I value this course very much, especially on critical incident exercise, peer observation teaching activity and the development in a scholarly approach to the learning and teaching in Higher Education. This course gave me much insight into my learning and teaching journey. It makes my teaching portfolio much different and more colorful than before. I will keep it forever in my sweet memory and constantly add new stuff in it and applying it in my future learning and teaching.
References
[1] Biggs, J. 2003, Teaching for Quality Learning at University: What the Student Does, 2nd edn, SRHE & Open University Press, Berkshire.
[2] Brookfield, S. 1995, Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher , Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
[3] Boud, D., Cohen, R. & Walker, D. 1993, Using Experience for Learning, SRHE & Open University Press, Buckingham.Boud, D., Keogh, R. & Walker, D. 1985, Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning, Croom Helm, London.
[4] Kolb, D. 1984, Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey.
[5] Kolb, D. and Fry, R. 1975, "Toward an applied theory of experiential learning", in C. Cooper Theory of Group Processes, John Wiley and Sons Inc, New York.
[6] Ramsden, P. Learning to Teach in Higher Education, 2nd ed. London: Routledge.
[7] Schon, D. 1983, The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action, Temple Smith, London.
【Key words】Reflection, Practitioner, Account, Higher education
【中图分类号】G623.31 【文献标识码】A 【文章编号】1009-9646(2009)03(a)-0201-02
1 Introduction
Since I have an appointment with P.G Cert at Yunnan Agriculture University, My time here as a university teacher is exciting and rewarding, I do recognize, however, that it will be challenging and, at times, difficult. I regard it as a new commence of my teaching career because engaging in a process of continual improvement of my learning and teaching practice has many advantages and rewards. Improving my learning and teaching practice will result in enhanced student learning and engagement, as well as increased personal and professional satisfaction with my teaching role. Appropriately documented, this process of continual improvement of my learning and teaching practice may also provide material in support of my academic professional development and evidence for promotion. The continual improvement cycle for my learning and teaching practice will be specific to my discipline and the students I am working with, and it will also be influenced by my personal and professional priorities.
This article will present a summary of my development as a reflective practitioner over the past one-year periods since appointed with P.G Cert in Higher Education course at Yunnan Agriculture University. It will provide an evaluation of my professional development, particularly highlighting on those successful experiences engagement in and development of learning and teaching practice.
2 Critical Reflection
I gain many insights into my learning and teaching practice through the process of critical reflection. In the past of my learning and teaching, I can reflect and become excited sometimes, I think it is a common sense. When I was reflecting in action, I do not know and realize there was a theory to underpin this concept. Now I know that it is a very useful and powerful skill in my learning and teaching. This is demonstrated by a model proposed by Boud, Keogh, and Walker where reflection involves "returning to the experience, attending to the feelings and re-evaluating the experience based on current knowledge and intent, and integrating this new knowledge into your conceptual framework". This is also demonstrated by another model developed by Kolb and Fry. These models demonstrate the cyclic nature of reflective practice, and Biggssuggests that an effective way to formally encourage and direct reflective practice is as action research which is "being systematic about changing your teaching and making sure the changes are in the right direction; that your students are now learning better than they used to". Another important element is that reflection is not just about the individual and, when used effectively, can enhance the development of communities of practice. When our reflection is cyclical, our practice can develop into a systematic inquiry that begins alone with personal reflection on our own learning and teaching experiences, but becomes collective when informed by our interactions with colleagues, students, and the theoretical literature.
Most importantly, reflection helps us to develop our own learning and teaching framework. Brookfield proposes that this framework: allows us to consciously develop our own repertoire of strategies and techniques to draw upon in our teaching, which are relevant to our particular context and discipline; helps us take informed actions that can be justified and explained to others and that we can use to generate answers to teaching problems; allows us to adjust and respond to issues and problems. For instance, rather than being devastated by a poor teaching evaluation, it allows us to investigate and understand what underlies these evaluations and to take appropriate action, which might be to adjust our teaching; helps us to become aware of our underlying beliefs and assumptions about learning and teaching so we understand why we do what we do and what might need to change; helps to promote a positive learning environment. Through reflection, our teaching becomes responsive to student feedback and needs, which can serve to build trust in students when they see their feedback is valued and taken seriously through changes to teaching; helps us to locate our teaching in the broader institutional, social, and political context and to appreciate the many factors that influence student learning. In this way, reflection helps us to keep our perspectives and to avoid blaming ourselves for every problem that arises in our classrooms.
3 Peer Teaching Observation Activity
Peer observation is a method of gaining feedback on my teaching. Generally speaking, it involves a colleague observing my learning and teaching practice with the aim of offering me constructive feedback on what I am doing well and what I should improve. In some cases, peer observation might involve a reciprocal arrangement in which I also observe my colleague's teaching. The peer observation relationship usually begins with a discussion about the areas of my learning and teaching practice on which I would like feedback. These preliminary discussions might be more or less formal, depending on the context in which the peer observation is taking place – that is, the peer observation might occur as part of personal development activities I have initiated myself, or it might occur as part of a school's support for learning and teaching evaluation. The discussions are followed by the observation of my learning and teaching session and then by a follow-up meeting in which I discuss both my own reflections on the session as well as my colleague's observations.
3.1 Before the class
Identify the key issues for feedback in relation to the type of class that I wish my colleague to observe-for example, encouraging interaction in large classes; dealing with diversity of background/knowledge/skills within the class; encouraging peer learning and discussion in a large tutorial group; structuring a lecture; engaging students in a large class, and so on.
3.2 During the class
(1)As part of his/her observation, I might also ask my colleague to reflect on how I:
introduced the class.
maintained student interest, structured the class, encouraged interactivity and collaboration between students, encouraged a climate of enquiry, active learning, reflection and checked for understanding.
at the end of the class ensured that learning from the class was summarized and linked to previous/future topics.
(2)What surprised my colleague most in the approach I took to the learning and teaching activity?
(3)What did my colleague think was most relevant in the approach I took to the learning and teaching activity?
(4)What puzzled or confused my colleague most in the approach I took to the learning and teaching activity?
3.3 After the class
This is my opportunity to share reflections and observations, to raise questions, and to explore my approach to learning and teaching
4 Scholarly approach to learning and teaching
P.G Cert also helps me to develop a scholarly approach to learning and teaching. It is an important shift for me. My understanding for scholarly approach to learning is that not only focuses on best practice, but also focuses on the theory or philosophy that underpinning the best practice. Scholarly teaching is an approach to teaching that focuses on the learning experience of my students where teaching skills are continually improved through reflection, knowledge of current ideas about teaching, and peer collaboration. As a university educator, continual improvement of my learning and teaching practice is necessary. Just as student learning involves changing the ways students understand, experience, or conceptualize the world, quality teaching implies constantly being open to changing how we think about and experience teaching.
It is important to embed the qualities of continual improvement into my portfolio. Highlight how I have reflected upon my students' learning, my teaching, and my curriculum in order to identify strengths and areas for improvement. For example, express how you have used this information to further plan and implement strategies for improvement. My teaching portfolio will lack credibility if I do not substantiate my claims by providing evidence of a developmental process that is consistent with the views and ideas I express elsewhere in my portfolio, particularly in my philosophy of learning and teaching.
5 Developing a Teaching Portfolio
P.G Cert course also helps me how to develop and maintain my teaching portfolio. A teaching portfolio is a document that systematically presents my learning and teaching activities and achievements within the context of my learning and teaching philosophy, its application, and its outcomes. It focuses on: my defining attitudes, beliefs, and approaches as a teacher; the process by which I continually improve upon my teaching skills and course content; how I support the provision of high-quality learning and teaching by others.
Each portfolio is different and unique. It reflects my own educational practice as a scholarly teacher. It just equals the situation of a project. Secondly, the development of the portfolio can best be achieved in collaboration with others because colleagues can provide invaluable input and a critical perspective. I know that the process of building my teaching portfolio will help me to reflect on and continually improve my teaching, and allow me to acknowledge my strengths as an educator. Importantly, it will provide opportunities for building collegial relationships and stimulating debate around learning and teaching at YAU so that to make my educational practice, its effectiveness in enhancing my students learning. Finally I come to realize that maintaining a high-quality environment of learning and teaching needs everyone’s contribution.
6 Summary
This account gave me a chance to look back on my learning and teaching in higher education with the flow of P.G Cert course to reach to current thinking in higher education, teaching is defined as the facilitation of student learning. It embodies all that we do “to make student learning possible.”. I value this course very much, especially on critical incident exercise, peer observation teaching activity and the development in a scholarly approach to the learning and teaching in Higher Education. This course gave me much insight into my learning and teaching journey. It makes my teaching portfolio much different and more colorful than before. I will keep it forever in my sweet memory and constantly add new stuff in it and applying it in my future learning and teaching.
References
[1] Biggs, J. 2003, Teaching for Quality Learning at University: What the Student Does, 2nd edn, SRHE & Open University Press, Berkshire.
[2] Brookfield, S. 1995, Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher , Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
[3] Boud, D., Cohen, R. & Walker, D. 1993, Using Experience for Learning, SRHE & Open University Press, Buckingham.Boud, D., Keogh, R. & Walker, D. 1985, Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning, Croom Helm, London.
[4] Kolb, D. 1984, Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey.
[5] Kolb, D. and Fry, R. 1975, "Toward an applied theory of experiential learning", in C. Cooper Theory of Group Processes, John Wiley and Sons Inc, New York.
[6] Ramsden, P. Learning to Teach in Higher Education, 2nd ed. London: Routledge.
[7] Schon, D. 1983, The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action, Temple Smith, London.