The Contribution of Core Reflection Supervision Through the Onion Model to Iranian EFL Teachers' Professional Development

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of foreign languages, Shahreza Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahreza, Iran

Abstract

Rooted in the onion model of reflection, the core reflection approach can bring the power of ideals and personal qualities to bear upon teachers' experiences of teaching. This study explored the contribution of the approach to Iranian English language teachers' professional development. Forty general English teachers at the university level attended three supervisory sessions wherein the teachers were coached into reflective practice. Pre/postintervention semistructured interviews, classroom observations, field notes, and reflective journals were used to collect qualitative data. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurring themes at each layer of the model. Further analysis revealed a significant difference between teachers' perceptions and teaching behaviors before and after the supervisory meetings. The results demonstrated that teachers experienced a process of growth with a developmental trajectory from the outer layers to the inner layers of the onion model. As a result of the activation of core qualities through core reflection supervision, teachers developed a sense of identity and mission that had an impact on their environment, behavior, and beliefs in a way that they shifted their attention from their own concerns to their responsibilities and ideals. The findings have important implications for various stakeholders in ELT.

Keywords

References

Adams, R., Kim, Y. M., & Greene, W. L. (2013). Actualizing core strengths in new teacher development. In F. A. J. Korthagen, Y. M. Kim, & W. L. Greene (Eds.), Teaching and learning from within: A core reflection approach to quality and inspiration in education (pp. 61-75). New York: Routledge.
Aliakbari, M., & Tabatabaei, F. S. (2019). Evaluation of Iranian teacher education programs for EFL student-teachers. Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 6(1), 131-105.
Attema-Noordewier, S., Korthagen, F. A. J., & Zwart, R. C. (2013). Core reflection in primary schools: A new approach to educational innovation. In: F. A. J. Korthagen, Y. M. Kim, & W. L. Greene (Eds.), Teaching and learning from within: A core reflection approach to quality and inspiration in education (pp. 111-130). New York: Routledge.
Clarke, V. & Braun, V. (2014) Thematic analysis. In T. Teo (Ed.), Encyclopedia of critical psychology (pp. 1947-1952). New York: Springer.
Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics: Quantitative qualitative, and mixed methodologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hoekstra, A., & Korthagen, F. A. J. (2011). Teacher learning in a context of educational change: Informal learning versus systematic support. Journal of Teacher Education, 62, 76-92.
Impedovo, M. A., & Malik, S. K. (2016). Becoming a reflective in-service teacher: Role of research attitude. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41(1), 6.
Johnson, K. E. (2009). Second language teacher education: A sociocultural perspective. London: Routledge.
Khazaeenezhad, B., Tavakoli, M., & Amirian, Z. (2018). Core reflection as a way towards integrating theoretical knowledge and pedagogical practice in the Iranian context: the case of prospective language teachers. Teaching English Language, 12(1), 61-87.
Körkkö, M., Kyrö-Ämmälä, O., & Turunen, T. (2016). Professional development through reflection in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 55, 198-206.
Korthagen, F. A. J. (2004). In search of the essence of a good teacher: Towards a more holistic approach in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(1), 77-97.
Korthagen, F. A. J. (2014). Promoting core reflection in teacher education: Deepening professional growth. In L. Orland-Barak & C. J. Craig (Eds), International teacher education: Promising pedagogies (pp. 73-89). Bingley, U.K.: Emerald.
Korthagen, F. A. J. (2016). Pedagogy of teacher education. In J. Loughran & M.L. Hamilton (Eds.), International handbook of teacher education, (pp. 311-346). Singapore: Springer Science.
Korthagen, F. A. J. (2017). Inconvenient truths about teacher learning: Towards professional development 3.0. Teachers & Teaching: Theory and Practice, 23(4), 387-405.
Korthagen, F. A. J., & Nuijten, E.E. (2017). Core reflection approach in teacher education. In: J. Lampert (Ed.), Oxford research encyclopedia of education (pp. 189-206). New York: Oxford University Press.
Korthagen, F., & Vasalos, A. (2005). Levels in reflection: Core reflection as a means to enhance professional development. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 11(1), 47-71.
Korthagen, F. A. J., & Vasalos A. (2010). Going to the core: Deepening reflection by connecting the person to the profession. In N. Lyons (Ed.), Handbook of reflection and reflective inquiry (pp. 529-552). Boston, MA: Springer.
Meijer, P. C., Korthagen, F. A. J., & Vasalos, A. (2009). Supporting presence in teacher education: The connection between the personal and professional aspects of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(2), 297-308.
Pishghadam, R., & Saboori, F. (2014). A socio-cultural study of language teacher status. International Journal of Society, Culture, and Language, 2(1), 63-72.
Riazi, A. M. (2017). Mixed methods research in language teaching and learning. NY: Equinox Publishing.
Ruit, P., Korthagen, F., & Schoonenboom, J. (2019). The impact of working with core qualities on primary school pupils' wellbeing. Educational and Child Psychology, 36(3), 7-17.
Soodmand Afshar, H., & Hosseini Yar, S. (2019). Investigating the relationship between attitude towards professional development, reflective teaching, self-efficacy, and job performance of Iranian English as a foreign language teachers. Teaching English Language, 13(2), 147-179.
Zwart, R. C., Korthagen, F. A., & Attema-Noordewier, S. (2015). A strength-based approach to teacher professional development. Professional Development in Education, 41(3), 579-596.
Teaching English Language
Volume 14, Issue 2
September 2020
Pages 89-110

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 01 April 2020
  • Revise Date: 19 September 2020
  • Accept Date: 10 November 2020

Share

How to cite

Statistics