I. Works CitedUtilizing Reflection in the Physics Classroom Bradley Gearhart1,2 1Department of Physics, SUNY–Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Ave, SC222, Buffalo,NY 14222, USA 2 Science Department, Alden High School, 13190 Park Street, Alden NY 14004, USA E-mail: [email protected]:Reflection is a process that has been widely promoted but, in many cases, poorly defined. Manyadvocate the use of reflection and reflective practices in the classroom, however few giveclearly defined guidelines for how this should be done. It is the goal of this paper to discuss myown experience in learning what it means to be reflective, to discuss some of the benefits ofreflection in the physics classroom, look at the characteristics of reflective practices, and givesome reflective methods proven to increase student understanding.2I. My Experience and My Evolution in Reflection – Reflecting on ReflectionAnyone involved in education these days has undoubtedly heard the term reflection and has been told at one time or another to practice it in their classroom. I know in my own situation the idea of reflection has been a common theme thrown out in both the school districtI work in and the teacher preparation program I am working through. Many have called for the use of reflection in my classroom and in my own practice. However, what is meant by reflection and, more importantly, how it can be incorporated into the classroom, has not been easily seen.For me the process has been more of a “trial and error” method where I embark on what is to be a reflective journey, but without clearly identified guidelines as to what it is that I should be doing.In many of my classes, I was asked to participate in reflective practices by doing anythingfrom a reflective journal to a personal evaluation. In each of these cases, what “it” was and what I was supposed to be doing weren’t very clearly defined. In some cases, I would do whatever I could think of that seemed to fit the structure of the assignment and then cross my fingers and hope for the best. For the most part this method seemed to bring with it some fantastic results. In most assignments, if I just wrote about myself and discusses the things I felt I could improve upon, then I got a good grade. This was much of the experience I had with reflection (Though there are some notable exceptions). With this feedback mechanism, I began to equal “being critical of myself” with “being a reflective person.”Reflection for the purpose of a grade proved to be different than reflection for the purpose of practice evaluation. When I was reflecting for class, it appeared that I was trying to do what would get me the best grade and had very little, if anything, to do with what would 3help me to improve or grow as a professional. When it came to reflecting on my own teaching practices, where a grade was not the intended outcome but rather the improvement of my ability as a teacher, I found the process to be much more difficult and the idea of what reflection is to be less clearly defined. I tried many things in my quest to be a reflective educator. I was critical of myself, I focused on my strengths, I tried to be objective about my methods, and I sought out the advice and opinions of others. In the end though, I was no betteroff than I was before. It was hard to be a reflective teacher when one has little understanding ofwhat it meant to be reflective.My efforts were not totally in vain. Through this process of trial, error, evaluation, and reinvestigation I was unknowingly embarking on a reflective journey. It was very similar to when I first learned to swim. I was simply thrown into the pool and expected to swim. As my arms began to swirl around me, feet fluttering violently beneath me, all the while convincing myself that I would never learn to swim, I somehow managed to keep my head above water andin the moment of calm I was able to realize that, though it may not be pretty, I was in fact swimming. This was my experience in learning to become a reflective person. You feel very unsure of yourself. You don’t really know if you are doing it right or what it is that needs to be done. However, through this intellectual discomfort you begin to experiment and evaluate. When all is said and done, you suddenly realize that without knowing it you have become a reflective person.One of the biggest obstacles in becoming a reflective individual resides on the belief thatthere is one correct route. However, this belief that you are not doing things correctly, that you need to fix the way that you perceive reflection can, in the end, be the catalyst for becoming a 4reflective professional. When you first learned to ride a bicycle it was important to have a number of unsuccessful attempts. Since, when one has figured out every way to not succeed, the one will have a better idea of what it means to be successful (Assuming that the intended outcomes are linked and evaluated against the actual outcomes).The remainder of this paper will serve as a summative report for an individual looking to integrate reflective practices into their teaching practices. It is not intended to be a complete listing, but rather, a highlight of some of the basics surrounding reflection. Hopefully, it will begin to make visible the tacit knowledge that most individuals assume you know when asking you to become more reflective. II. Vocabulary and Terminology – Ideas from Schön A) Naming and FramingThe need for reflection in practice has been well document since the time of Dewey. However, what has been missing from much of this work is a clear and concise outline for how itis that one becomes a reflective individual. The very idea of what reflection is can vary widely from person to person, and simply being told to reflect is not good enough to encourage reflective actions (Loughram 2002). With the release of The Reflective Practitioner, Donald Schön provided a complete and comprehensive source for what it means to be reflective and how it can be incorporated into one’s practice. In order for a person to become a more reflective professional, we must first look at what it is that will help to construct these reflective practices.5In order to first embark on a reflective journey, one must be confronted with something that is problematic. This problem, or difficulty, serves as the catalyst for the need to reflect upon a
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