Using Reflective Practice to Link Personal and Public Theories

Abstract

Ways of improving the efficacy of present methods of relating theory and practice in the education of teachers are considered. It is argued that: (1) insufficient attention has been paid to the methods of uncovering personal theories; (2) personal theories are often expressed in images and metaphors; and (3) the interlocking of personal and public theory can usefully be understood as the interaction of different levels of reflection. Five levels of reflection are identified and are then used to argue, further, that: (4) different language is appropriate to different levels of reflection; and (5) each practitioner should be able to work at each level.