Page 78 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Training Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 78
self-reflection can help educators analyse their own competencies,
their own teaching practices and their own evaluation strategies.
This analysis is a good foundation for changing their perspectives,
notions and practice regarding their education experiences and con-
sequently for preventing ESL.
Video-based self-reflection is introduced here as one of the latest
methods of self-reflection linked to improving competencies regard-
ing the prevention of ESL. As with other professional development
approaches, such as lessons, courses, supervision, coaching or others
also when using (video) self-reflection, some considerations and pos-
sible negative effects need to be taken into account. The paper anal-
yses and discusses the possibilities of self-reflection and the related
approaches and methods and establishes that it can have a great in-
fluence on educators’ practice involving interactions with students
at risk of ESL and on preventing ESL if used with evidence-based
considerations.
Key words: educators, self-reflection, professional development, pre-
venting ESL
Introduction
In more recent EU documents on education, the reduction of ESL is of-
ten tackled as a comprehensive task that must address the entire education
spectrum, including educators’ awareness of the scope and challenges of
ESL (European Commission, 2013). Awareness of the scope and challenges,
what triggers ESL and the practices to prevent it are mostly left up to edu-
cators and their skills and competencies (although individual and systemic
factors also importantly contribute to ESL). These aspects are typically not
achieved through formal education process of future educators but evolve
during the process of their professional development.
Developments in teacher education and professional development re-
quire a rethinking of how best to build linkages between theory and prac-
tice and, in this context, reflection has become a keyword in the education
of teachers (Korthagen, 2014). The individual educator’s ability to reflect
and assess their behaviours and abilities affects their choices, aspirations,
motivations and coping mechanisms (Frydenberg, 2011). In order to be-
come aware and improve educators’ behaviours, coaching and self-reflec-
tion have been shown to have positive and promising results with signifi-
cant effect sizes and nowadays especially video self-reflection is recognised
78
their own teaching practices and their own evaluation strategies.
This analysis is a good foundation for changing their perspectives,
notions and practice regarding their education experiences and con-
sequently for preventing ESL.
Video-based self-reflection is introduced here as one of the latest
methods of self-reflection linked to improving competencies regard-
ing the prevention of ESL. As with other professional development
approaches, such as lessons, courses, supervision, coaching or others
also when using (video) self-reflection, some considerations and pos-
sible negative effects need to be taken into account. The paper anal-
yses and discusses the possibilities of self-reflection and the related
approaches and methods and establishes that it can have a great in-
fluence on educators’ practice involving interactions with students
at risk of ESL and on preventing ESL if used with evidence-based
considerations.
Key words: educators, self-reflection, professional development, pre-
venting ESL
Introduction
In more recent EU documents on education, the reduction of ESL is of-
ten tackled as a comprehensive task that must address the entire education
spectrum, including educators’ awareness of the scope and challenges of
ESL (European Commission, 2013). Awareness of the scope and challenges,
what triggers ESL and the practices to prevent it are mostly left up to edu-
cators and their skills and competencies (although individual and systemic
factors also importantly contribute to ESL). These aspects are typically not
achieved through formal education process of future educators but evolve
during the process of their professional development.
Developments in teacher education and professional development re-
quire a rethinking of how best to build linkages between theory and prac-
tice and, in this context, reflection has become a keyword in the education
of teachers (Korthagen, 2014). The individual educator’s ability to reflect
and assess their behaviours and abilities affects their choices, aspirations,
motivations and coping mechanisms (Frydenberg, 2011). In order to be-
come aware and improve educators’ behaviours, coaching and self-reflec-
tion have been shown to have positive and promising results with signifi-
cant effect sizes and nowadays especially video self-reflection is recognised
78
