Reflection in Teaching Profession: Models, Benefits, and Application

This essay delves into the critical role of reflection in the teaching profession, examining various reflective models and their practical applications. The author, a student at a university, explores several frameworks, including Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle, the DATA model, Gibb's reflection cycle and Bain’s framework for 5Rs, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. The essay discusses how these models aid teachers in analyzing their practices, identifying areas for improvement, and developing effective strategies to enhance student learning. The author emphasizes the DATA model's suitability for adult education, particularly in business management, due to its focus on addressing complexities and diverse learning needs. The essay also covers the resources required for reflective practices and the importance of skills like flexibility and compassion. The author also explains how to use different models according to the situation to reflect on their practices. Ultimately, the essay underscores the benefits of reflection in fostering professional growth and creating a more effective learning environment for students. The essay is to be published on Desklib, a platform offering AI-based study tools and resources for students.

Running head: REFLECTION IN TEACHING PROFESSION
REFLECTION IN TEACHING PROFESSION
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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REFLECTION IN TEACHING PROFESSION
The process of reflection allows the teaching professional to understand the procedures of
teaching, analyze attributes and skills that he or she is applying in teaching and thereby
developing ways of developing the teaching procedures. Reflection gives scope to the teachers to
utilize their experiential knowledge so that they can change and replicate the outcomes (Devlin et
al. 2015). With proper reflection in every phase, a tutor advances in his or her career from a stage
of novice to an expert. They learn to use tactics and skills that bring the most positive outcome
for their students not only making them knowledgeable but also interested in the subject and its
applications. Over the years, the teachers use different reflective frameworks to reflect on their
practices. These frameworks help them to dissect their experiences or their feelings into minute
sections from which they can gather knowledge and insight and thereby apply them in their
practices (Morissey and Ball 2016). The teachers also use such frameworks while in practices it,
in order to judge whether the interventions selected by them are effective or not or how they can
adopt more evidence based strategies to teach their students. Therefore, this assignment will
mainly show the different reflective models that the teachers can use, the resources required for
such models, the best of the reflective models used by teachers. This will also show how
significant they are in field of providing better education for students.
The first theory that can be used in reflection is the Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle.
This is a well-known theory that allows the teaching professionals to learn from their experiences
that take place on a daily basis. Kolbe has included four important steps in the reflection models.
The fourth steps are the experience step where the individuals do something (Ajayi 2016). This is
then followed by the reflection stage when the individuals need to think about what they did.
This is then followed by conceptualize phase where the individuals need to generalize. This is
then followed by the planning stage where the individuals take the conclusions in mind and

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strategize to bring out positive outcomes and work on the weakness. Another important reflective
model that is used extensively by tutors is the DATA model or framework. Peters developed this
in the year 1991 that comprises of the four stages. The stages are description, analyze, theorize as
well as act. This is quite similar to the Kolbe’s procedure of reflection. In the first stage, the task,
incident or the problem that the teachers want to modify is described (Mortenson, Cox and
Satterlee 2016). The teacher here describes the context in which current practices are conducted
by the teachers and the rationales behind changing it. In the second step, the teachers can identify
the factors that contribute to the current practices. Identification of the assumptions, beliefs, rules
and motives that governs the teaching and learning procedures needs to be analyzed in details.
This is then followed by the third phase where the individuals theorize the different alternative
ways of approaching teaching by noting down important points taken from previous steps. This
is then followed by the final stage where the tutor will try out new theories and will act properly
in the next time (Gao et al. 2015). Another model that is also use by tutors is the Rolbe’s
framework. This framework is mainly seen to comprise of three important steps. This model
comprises of the first step which asks the question, “what?”. This step mainly helps the teacher
to describe the different situations he or she has experienced. The next step is called the “so
what?” stage where the teachers mainly gets the scope of theory and knowledge building. The
last stage is called the “now what?” stage where the teacher develops the idea about how to
improve the present situation. Gibb’s reflection cycle comprises of the six stages of reflection
that includes the description phase, feelings, evaluation, analysis, and conclusion and action plan
stage (Manara 2014). Another stage is called the Bain’s framework for the 5Rs. It was developed
from a research conducted on student teachers where there are five stages of Rs. These are
reporting, responding, relating, reasoning and reconstructing. Therefore, the teachers can use

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different models according to their necessities so that they can properly indentify their weakness
and work on them to alter the weakness into strength (Krige and Bezuyidenhout 2016).
Of the different models that have been described on the above section, the model that I
would chose for my reflective procedure is the DATA model that had been proposed by Peters. I
have found this model suitable for my teaching practice as this model of reflection id already
based on teaching adults. It was published in the year 1991in an article named Professional
Development for Educators of Adults. Peters had stated that the DATA model is exceptionally
useful in adult education and since I am teaching Business management to adults, this reflective
model will be useful for me. In adult education, teaching professionals are perceived as
individuals who have specialized expertise that they can apply to problems in different situations
(Pane et al. 2014). These adult programs usually take place where there are lots of ambiguity,
complexity, variety and conflicting values (Supardi et al. 2017). All these raise unique demands
on the skills and knowledge of the adult educator. Therefore, they have to make choices
constantly about the different nature of the practice problems and different ways to solve them.
The second step of the DATA framework helps in identifying the different assumptions, various
types of beliefs, rules and motives that govern teaching procedures. Therefore, this framework in
deed helps to analyze the problems in adult education in details and develop alternative theories
for overcoming the barriers. DATA tool of framework is suitable for me in my profession of
adult educator as it acts as a successful tool for revealing of different discrepancies between the
espoused theories and the theories that are in use. This model of reflection gives the scope of
developing alternative theories that can be developed by me in the third step of the reflection
framework (Yu 2016). Then, this model gives the scope of applying the theories in practice and
hence it would be helpful or me to apply proper theories in different problematic situations and

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thereby develop my skills and knowledge to meet the requirements of students and to hold their
interests. However, I will not always stick to a particular model. I may also use the Bain’s model
of reflection in cases where I need to dissect specifically an experiment of mine to bring out the
main mistakes conducted and thereby bring out changes in practice.
In order to reflect on any practice of mine, I first need to select one experience that is
intricately associated with my field of practice. Depending on the outcome, I would first finalize
the reflective framework that I need to apply in the situation. After finalizing on the reflective
framework, I will note down the headings on a piece of paper (Floyd 2016). Under each of the
headings, I will incorporate my reflective writings in a sequential manner so that I can gradually
develop an insight into each segments of the reflection as I proceed forward. After I had jotted
down the point, I will maintain a soft copy as a reflective journal on my personal computer in a
date wise manner (Kwon 2014). This will be indeed helpful for my professional development
where I can maintain record of my improvement in my profession. The main resources that I
would require are whiteboards and markers, stationeries, personal computers, evidence based
journal articles and many others.
As an adult education teacher, I have to develop a number of skills that are highly
important for successfully educating my students. Apart from compassion and strengths, one of
the most important skills I require to make my students interested in business management
education is effective compassion. I need to engage in effective feedback sessions where my
students should get scope of revealing the areas that they find difficult, complex or unclear.
Therefore, my body language should be such where they find me approachable. All these skills
were never present in me. It was only after assessing different situations I have gone through
with my students and reflecting on the situations, I had successfully been able to rectify my

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mistakes. I had also assessed one of the recent experiences of mine where I had found that as a
teacher I do not have the skills of being flexible. I have done this assessment by using the Bain’s
model of 5Rs. I have thereby understood the skill I lack and hence decided to take initiatives to
be more flexible with my students. I should always keep in mind that not every student has the
equal receptive power or equal quality of work. I should try to flexible with all of their
approaches without forcing my demands on them. This will prevent them from developing fear
on the subject.
Using of the reflective models provides the number of benefits. This models act as
guidelines that provides the pathway to an individual in transforming his experience into genuine
learning about the individual values, goals and different other issues. With the help of this
framework models, I get logical framework by which I can develop higher-level thinking and
problem solving. The reflection procedures gives a scope of systematic thinking procedures by
which individuals get the scope of dissecting the experiencing and analyzing each of the
segments of the experience to overcome any barriers faced by the individuals. I believe that with
the help of reflection, individuals get the scope of overcoming barriers and develop skills and
knowledge that help them to emerge as a successful professional in the future.
Various reflective models are used by individuals to overcome barriers faced by them in
their professional life. Moreover, reflections help individuals to identify their weakness and work
on them. It also helps them to identify their strengths and take initiatives to utilize these strengths
to bring out positive incomes. Adult education is one of the most difficult forms of education and
teachers who provide such education needs to be well established with the correct set of skills.
Proper reflective models would help me to evolve as a teacher of business management as they
would help me identify my shortcomings and develop interventions for them.

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