The Reflective Cycle of the Teaching Practicum
Fiona Farr [+–]
University of Limerick
Fiona Farr is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Limerick.
Angela Farrell [+–]
University of Limerick
Angela Farrell is a language teacher at the University of Limerick.
This book focuses on the practice cycle, or practicum, of ELT education programmes. Practice teaching is a key component of all good ELTE programmes, and provides a forum for novice teachers to begin to cross the theory/practice divide in a way which allows them to try out ideas in a classroom setting. This typically happens after a period of theoretical induction and the observation of more experienced teachers, and can often begin in a very scaffolded way through micro- or team- teaching, before moving to more independence. At all stages of this practice-oriented process, reflection is a fundamental and obligatory underlying principle, the integration of which leads to informed decisions on change implementation to improve teaching.
The book begins with a theoretical and research-informed introduction to both Reflective Practice (RP) and the practicum, followed by definitions and typologies. Various tools and sources of evidence to support the RP process during the practicum are investigated, using many data-rich examples from our own and others’ professional contexts over a number of years. These are applied to observation of more experienced teachers and self-observation of one’s own practice as facilitators of informed decisions for change. Finally, the process of RP as a life-long developmental practice is explored.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
University of Limerick
Fiona Farr is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Limerick.
University of Limerick
Angela Farrell is a language teacher at the University of Limerick.
This chapter provides a theoretical introduction to the notion of reflective practice, its origin, how it has been defined in the literature, various evidence-based perspectives on how effective it is, and its associated pros and cons. This discussion is embedded in the context of the practicum component of ELT education programmes with a focus on novice teachers.
Chapter 2
University of Limerick
Fiona Farr is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Limerick.
University of Limerick
Angela Farrell is a language teacher at the University of Limerick.
This chapter provides an overview of some of the more structured approaches to RP presented in the literature. It includes Kolb’s Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 1984) and Wallace’s Professional Development Strategies (Wallace, 1998), and a more detailed account of Farrell’s (2015) five stage framework. The chapter concludes by introducing the authors’ PENSER model (Farr and Farrell, 2017) which is specifically aimed at those engaged in reflective practice during the TP cycle.
Chapter 3
University of Limerick
Fiona Farr is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Limerick.
University of Limerick
Angela Farrell is a language teacher at the University of Limerick.
This chapter highlights the pedagogical insights and practical benefits to be gained for novice teachers from observations of experienced teachers. It also explores the potential of follow-up dialogic reflective practice with peers, facilitated by experienced teachers acting as mentors. It uncovers the ways in which novice teachers can co-construct knowledge in collaboration with each other through post-observation guided reflective tasks.
Chapter 4
University of Limerick
Fiona Farr is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Limerick.
University of Limerick
Angela Farrell is a language teacher at the University of Limerick.
This chapter focuses on the ways in which reflective practice can help novice teachers to become better informed, and more discerning and targeted in their lesson design by raising awareness of key considerations, issues and challenges involved in planning and preparing. It highlights reflective tasks that can be used to help them to source, evaluate and more effectively exploit suitable materials and resources for classroom teaching.
Chapter 5
University of Limerick
Fiona Farr is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Limerick.
University of Limerick
Angela Farrell is a language teacher at the University of Limerick.
In this chapter the developing linguistic knowledge base of novice teachers is explored, including their awareness of the metalanguage and systems used to describe and classify the English language and English language use. It then highlights the processes by which student teachers can become more familiar with the target models of English taught in different contexts and settings and the identification and selection of suitable target English forms for L2 classroom pedagogy.
Chapter 6
University of Limerick
Fiona Farr is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Limerick.
University of Limerick
Angela Farrell is a language teacher at the University of Limerick.
This chapter explores the ways in which reflective practice and corpus linguistics can be used in a combined and integrated way to raise awareness of the nature of L2 classroom communication and the key role/s played by teacher talk and student talk in the process of SLA. The discussion is empirically informed, drawing on data from teacher reflective diaries and classroom corpora, and it highlights a range of strategies that novice teachers can use to enhance their classroom English competence.
Chapter 7
University of Limerick
Fiona Farr is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Limerick.
University of Limerick
Angela Farrell is a language teacher at the University of Limerick.
The main focus of this chapter is on the complementary use of reflective practice and corpus linguistics in order to identify and address concerns and challenges arising for novice teachers in the area of classroom management, with a view to helping them to improve learner engagement and learning outcomes. Through dialogic reflective practice, which draws on classroom data and is guided by mentors, novice teachers are shown how to become more insightful and confident in relation to their teacher role and classroom presence.
Chapter 8
University of Limerick
Fiona Farr is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Limerick.
University of Limerick
Angela Farrell is a language teacher at the University of Limerick.
One of the pillars of the TP cycle is the feedback session, or post-observation conference, which typically involves the novice teacher interacting with a more experienced mentor, or supervisor. This dialogic encounter aims to identify good practices so that they can be replicated and developed, and also areas that need a specific focus for enhancement. This chapter assists the novice teacher in practical ways to make the most of these discussions, by being well prepared, by interacting in a robust way, and by planning and implementing change in future practice sessions.
Chapter 9
University of Limerick
Fiona Farr is Senior Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Limerick.
University of Limerick
Angela Farrell is a language teacher at the University of Limerick.
The final chapter explores reflective practice as an on-going strategy for professional development in a meaningful and structured way throughout one’s career. It is cognisant of the demanding work schedule of most teachers and therefore offers flexible and on-line options to stay engaged and learn with other professionals.
