The ‘imperative of constant change’ is a distinguishing characteristic of teaching and learning in schools nowadays. Concerning this matter the ability to reflect has been considered as a central sign of teacher development (Fendler, 2003; Reh, 2004; Geerinck et al., 2010) since transforming the knowing what into knowing how is not a straightforward process (Keller-Schneider & Hericks, 2011). A large amount of educational scholars have empirically and theoretically stated that it is through reflection that teachers can return to their past experiences and resort to their professional biographical resources to formulate individual developmental goals (Dewey, 1993; Schön, 1983). According to this empiric and theoretical background we aim to ask first of all in this symposium which types of reflection are, however, productive in the professional development processes and how we can support professionally meaningful reflection which is inherently praxis oriented (Dewey, 1993). We share the idea of professional development as a praxis related phenomenon and build in our analysis on Bohnsack’s idea of two different forms of reflection, namely implicit and explicit reflection (Bohnsack, 2014).

To give access to this ability of reflection in an empiric analytic way, the sociology of knowledge by Karl Mannheim (1980) is used as theoretical framework. Mannheim offers a perspective for interpretation, in which – although there is a clearcut difference between the observer’s perspective and the subjective meaning attributed by the actors – the actors’ (those under research) knowledge is still the basis of analysis. Essential to this specific stance of observation is the distinction between two different sorts or levels of knowledge: the reflexive or theoretical knowledge on the one hand, and the practical or incorporated knowledge on the other. It is the latter kind of knowledge which gives orientation to action. This is implicit knowledge. Mannheim also called it „atheoretical knowledge“  which is pre-reflexive. This idea refers to a reflective process in which the participants are able to access the knowledge that determines their praxis as “tacit knowledge” (Polanyi, 1985). In this shared understanding of reflection as implicit and explicit, the new possibilities for praxis are present and the individual is able to create a link between the context and own experience (Bohnsack, 2016).

Our symposium observes teaching and learning not only from the perspective of teachers and teacher students, but takes also into account the perspective of pupils. These three perspectives are characterized by similar demands regarding to the ‘imperative of constant change’. With this in mind we aim to ask also how reflecting of teachers and pupils on learning and teaching is related and how the relation of ‘reflecting and replaying’ is formed.

The first presentation explores the phenomenon in teacher education. This presentation is based on an action research project in Finland in which new practices have been developed in cooperation of teachers and students to create possibilities for reflectivity in practice. The second presentation looks at this relation of reflecting and replaying in the context of in-service teachers’ professional development from a German perspective. The third presentation then offers the view to pupils’ reflectivity – based on research on research in German secondary schools; these results are then put into discussion with findings from teacher education and teacher professional development. The third international perspective will be added by the Swiss discussant who will reflect on the results taking into account the different educational and supportive structures in these three countries and bearing in mind the possibilities of different systems to support teachers’ – and pupils’ – development.

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