An Examination of the Construct of Critical Reflection: Implications for Teacher Education Programming in the 21st Century

Abstract

Imagine tomorrow. Futurists share predictions that the technology of knowledge will rule. Workers who welcome change and participate in lifelong learning activities will fill the jobs of the future. Employers for the jobs of tomorrow will seek employees who take the initiative, use good judgment, and are creative problem solvers and rational decision-makers (Rose & Nicoll, 1997). Next, imagine the classroom of tomorrow. Through access and use of technology, students will be able to learn on demand and access hundreds of pieces of information on any subject of interest. Students who achieve in this environment will have developed habits of mind that will enable them to be critical thinkers who analyze, evaluate, and explore possibilities. They will need integrity and ethical standards to guide their choices. Now, imagine the teacher preparation program of tomorrow. What skills and knowledge must teachers possess to meet the challenge futurists pose? How can teacher educators address the needs of future teacher candidates to prepare them for tomorrow's classroom? We believe teachers of the future must have the intellectual, moral, and critical thinking abilities to meet the challenges of 21st-century schools. In this article, we provide a rationale and framework to promote critical reflection in the preparation of teachers. The topic of reflection has been widely addressed in the literature, but few authors provide a holistic view of critical reflection in ways that would reconceptualize teacher education for the 21st century. What Is Critical Reflection? Dewey's early conception of reflection has provided a foundation for many current theories. Dewey's (1916) vision of teacher education postulated the development of future teachers empowered to improve upon the conditions of schools. The teacher quality Dewey believed most important is critical reflection. Reflection is an active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in light of the grounds supporting it and future conclusions to which it tends (Dewey, 1933, p. 6). Reflection implies that something is believed in or disbelieved because of some evidence, proof, or grounds for that belief. Dewey (1933) identified three attributes of reflective individuals: open-mindedness, responsibility, and wholeheartedness. Open-mindedness is a desire to listen to more than one side of an issue, to give attention to alternative views, and to recognize that even firmest beliefs may be questioned. Responsibility implies the desire to actively search for truth and apply information gained to problem situations. Wholeheartedness implies that one can overcome fears and uncertainties to make meaningful change and can critically evaluate ourselves, children, schools, and society. Teacher educators must find ways to imbue preservice teachers with the intellectual and professional experiences necessary to enable them to reflect on critical levels. Shulman (1987) and Reagan (1993) highlight the importance of teachers possessing a knowledge base providing a foundation on which they can make choices and act. Shulman's conception of a suitable knowledge base for teachers consists of knowledge of content, educational materials, and structures; knowledge of scholarly literature devoted to understanding the process of schooling, teaching, and learning; and knowledge of the maxims that guide the practice of teachers. Shulman (1988) contends that many teachers make decisions without understanding the rationale behind those decisions. To educate is to teach in a way that includes an account of why you do as you do, while tacit knowledge may be characteristic of many things that teachers do, our obligation as teacher educators must be to make the tacit explicit (p. 33). Reagan (1993) concludes that courses in the social foundations and philosophy of education are especially critical to the formation of higher-order thinking. …