Reflective essay on advantage of critical reflection in early childhood setting 2022

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
Reflective essay on advantage of critical reflection in early childhood setting
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Educators plays a crucial role in early childhood development, they are responsible in
shaping their formative years. Critical reflection is one of the most important aspect in
teaching practices. It refers to the process of identifying, analysing, and evaluating one’s own
thought and feelings constantly that in turn influences in making informed and logical
decision (Rymes, 2015). This essay evaluates the benefits of introducing a culture of critical
reflection in early childhood setting.
Educators are trained as technical practitioners and often make decision based on
rationality; this has raised concerns regarding lack of sensitivity and consideration in teaching
methods. This has led to change in modern teaching practices, one of the major changes has
been reinventing teaching methods and examining them to test its utility while teaching
young children through practicing critical reflective thinking. According to Vygotsky, the
ZPD model (zone of proximity development) states that cognitive development is socially
mediated process, that involves scaffolding guiding methods designed by the educator to lead
the child through the ZPD zone (Daniels, 2016). This practice enables the educators to
understand each member of the classroom individually, instead of homogenous approach.
Promoting critical reflection amongst educators to enhance their teaching method and provide
scaffolding to individual child according to their need. Bronfenbrenner states, children learn
most through repetitive proximal interaction, educators are a part of this proximal interaction.
Proximal interaction is responsible for the development child’s initial perception of the
society, expands into further into the economic, political structures, and helps in the
psychological development of a child (Bronfenbrenner, 2018). Therefore, it is crucial
educators’ practice reflective thinking of their interaction with the child.
Australia has seen a lot of immigrant influx post World War II, increasing the ethnic
diversity, also presence of indigenous group has created a multicultural environment. Studies
show that because of the same reason there is a presence of racism. Progressive education
system requires educators to critically evaluate their approach while addressing cultures and