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Contribution
This paper examines the role of reflective practice in a growing culture of new managerialism and performativity in schools. This performace-driven framework diminishes the role of professional discourse about the quality of teaching in favour of a linear, objective approach to measurement of the output of teaching. The kind of reflection discussed in the literature on reflective practice is fundamentally dependent on the notion of self-examination and inquiry within a professional framework. The extent to which performativity requires teachers to delineate clear performance deliverables prior to engaging in teaching clearly creates a demand for an input-output paradigm as opposed to the developmental model associated with reflective practitice. This study examines the views of two distinct groups; initial teacher education students and practicing teachers engaged in post-graduate education programmes. In the case of initial teacher training, the university promotes open, honest and developmental critical reflection in the student teacher's evaluation of their lessons. However, the product of these evaluations also forms part of the summative assessment of these student teachers. This study questions how this evaluative component of the performace of reflection impacts on the quality of the process from the student teacher's point of view. It also examines the extent to which critical reflection should actually be assessed. The study also elicits the views of practising teachers engaged in a Master's programme in Education on the impact of the emerging culture of performativity on the nature of reflective practice in schools. It explores the extent to which meaningful reflection can become part of a performance driven agenda and examines the implications of this for initial teacher training and teacher professional development.The study is currently being carried out over the course of this academic year with two differnet groups of post graduate students. The first group consists of 20 students on an initial teacher training programme. This method used is a series of focus group interviews carried out within the university tutorial structure. The discussions are held at intervals that correspond to the key assessment dates for the submission of the reflective components of course work. The objective of this component is to examine the views of a sample of student teachers participating in a one year consecutive programme in teacher education on how the evaluative component of the reflective practice element of the programme impacts on the quality of the reflective process. The second group in the study consists of 18 practicing teachers engaged in a Masters programme in education. The objective of this component is to examine the views of a sample of practising teachers undertaking a Master's programme in Education on the future impact of the emerging culture of performativity on the level of reflection among practising teachers. The method used comprises of a series of 'think pieces ' distributed ot students as part of the recommended reading for the course followed by recorded group discussions realted to the objective of the study.The expected outcomes of the study will provide an insight into the diffferent views that exist among teachers at differnet stages in their careers in relation to the formalised measurement of an essentially qualitive, personal and professional process. It is expected that the findings will shed light on the dicotmoy that exists between the need to critically evaluate practice while at the same time present a positive perspective on an indivuals pedagogical practice and professional development progress. The limitiations placed on quality reflection by a positivist assesment criteria and a range of deterministic performance indicators and outcomes should also be problematised during the discussions.Redmond, J., Valiulis, M., Raftery, D. and Harford, J., (2006) 'Imperfect Tools: The Role of Textbooks in Providing a Gender-Balanced Curriculum,' International Journal of Learning, vol 12, issue 10, 179-186. Raftery, D., Harford, J., Valiulis, M and Redmond, J. 'What's coming up in the Exam?' A National Survey of Teachers and the Delivery of a Gender-Balanced Curriculum' (2007) Educational Studies of Ireland (in press)Mac Ruairc, G (2007) "Dip, dip Sky Blue" Children's Experience of Standardised Testing: A Socio-cultural Perspective, Journal of Assessment in Education: Practice and Policy (In Press) Mac Ruairc, G (2007) 'Posh Teachers Posh Schools' A Cultural and Linguistic Examination of School and Non School Activity - A Social Class Perspective in Critical Studies in Education (with journal).Harford, J. and Mac Ruairc, G, (2008) Engaging student teachers in meaningful reflective practice (in press)International peer reviewed journal
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