ENGLISH TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVES ON REFLECTIVE PRACTICE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY

Abstract

Teachers have a key role in bringing change in education. Teachers’ professional disposition for appropriate classroom pedagogical practices ensures quality education and professional teaching. Teachers of the 21st century are expected to modify and update their knowledge, skills and thought by reframing their ideas into pedagogy. For that, reflective practice is an easily accessible opportunity for teachers. Thus, this research study focuses on how English language teachers perceive professional development through reflective practice and how their ways of reflecting on teaching experience help professional growth and how their narratives help for professional growth in the context of Nepal. For this, I have taken the idea of theoretical construct and relevant literature. The reviews of the relevant literature helped me d to connect my own journey of professional development to my teaching career. For the research purpose, I adopted narrative inquiry as a research method and interpretive research paradigm along with critical reflection theory. Critical reflection theory facilitates English language teachers to examine their beliefs in teaching. The research participants for this study were four English language teachers teaching at the secondary level in Rupandehi district. Their narratives worked as data and interview was used as a data generation process in it. Then, I transcribed interviews and developed them into textual content in English. Then, I analysed and interpreted the data into different codes and generated two major themes; teachers’ perception of reflective practice and their experiences of reflective practice for professional development. Further, all the teachers were positive about integrating reflective practice into their classroom teaching on a regular basis to enhance their profession and it motivated them working in collaboration with self and others. The study shows that participants have followed reflective activities for classroom teaching. Through reflective practice, they were even successful to build up their identity beyond professional teachers. In addition, the participants believed that the culture of pedagogical discussion in the school brings a pedagogical shift in teaching profession. They felt challenged to alter their teaching strategies due to unorganized sharing situations in their early teaching career.. The participants' narratives concluded that reflective practice is required for teachers' professional development. So, this study contributes to the discourse of reflective practice for classroom teaching in general and teaching English language in particular in the Nepalese context. Furthermore, a critical stance and a sense of working with others emerged through reflective practice in the participants extend their professional development. Hence, the participants’ narratives provide a rich foundation for the teacher's professional development