Task 1: Critical Reflection Report (LO1,2 & 4)

Introduction

Majority of educators’ beliefs, practices and attitudes are important for understanding and
improving educational processes. This is due to they are closely linked to educators’ strategies
for coping with challenges in their daily professional life and to their general well-being, and
they shape students’ learning environment and influence student motivation and achievement.
Furthermore, they can be expected to mediate the effects of job-related policies such as changes
in curricula for educators’ initial education or professional development on student learning.
According to UNESCO (2008), an educator must have through knowledge of the curriculum
and the skills which are used in technology in the curriculum.

Education enhances one's mind and leads in one's life. It is the educators who modifies a child
into a well social being. The educator understands, competency and attitude towards the
teaching profession directly impacts the student's performance in all spheres. Educator’s beliefs
and their attitude towards the teaching profession affect the behaviour of the students. Educator
is an activator of social change. Educators are directly linked with the future of the students
and today's students are responsible citizens of tomorrow. Knowledge, competencies and
attitude are the three main aspects for the success of teaching profession. However, most of the
educationists focuses on knowledge component and neglects the other two components
(Scocco, 2006). This results in formation of gap between theoretical knowledge and practical
knowledge.

As research has shown, educator quality is an important factor in determining gains in student
achievement, even after accounting for prior student learning and family background
characteristics. Predictors of educator quality have typically included factors such as class size,
certification, type of qualification, degrees earned, or years of experience. Another, less
studied, indicator of teacher quality is the pedagogical knowledge of educators. Pedagogical
knowledge refers to the specialised knowledge of educators for creating effective teaching and
learning environments for all students. This project focuses on the pedagogical knowledge base
of educators and the knowledge dynamics in the teaching profession in order to examine their
implications for the instructional process and to derive evidence-based suggestions for
educational policy.
Examine the relationship between your own pedagogical actions and teacher attributes.

After completing Bachelors of Degree in Education, there are many options for educators to
teach in an international school with different syllabus. After teaching IGCSE for the past 5
years, I joined Fairview that incorporates IB syllabus. Fairview offers the opportunity to
educators to do PGDE(IB) as a way in gaining a deep understanding of the IB education. As a
qualified teacher, this extension of Professional Practice with PGDE course will develop the
ability to be critically-reflective and explore own practice in order to improve it. On successful
completion of the PGDE there will be an opportunity to transfer Masters-level credits into this
programme.

The journey of this course started with the theories behind teaching practices and explore them
throughout the real-life practises. Educators will gain the skills necessary to become the best
teacher like the philosophy in education. There are three modules in this course which is
Exploring Teaching and Learning, Teaching and learning in Action and Developing
Professional Practices. All the classes were conducted online where, each class includes course
work involves group and independent study on specified tasks. This may involve presentations
and written reports. All these tasks were assessed formally, as they are essential learning
experiences and are course requirements.

The first module is an advanced course in the study of teaching & learning based on research
and theories from Sociology, Philosophy and Psychology. It focuses on enhancing students'
learning through the use of different learning systems by giving due recognition to
understanding each learner in the context of the learning process itself. The course enables the
participants to become familiar with the factors to consider in planning lessons and
programmes for their students. They will become curriculum experts in their fields of
specialization and be able to design appropriate and effective programmes which address the
various educational needs of their learners.

The objectives of the course are to understand methodologies in planning effective lessons and
curriculum that are aligned to programme objectives and to address diverse learners needs
while using appropriate channels of communications based on educational philosophy.; and to
understand the purposes of assessments and the underlying principles in conducting
assessments for learning. This course allows educators to synthesise learning theories, learner-
centred teaching approaches and methodologies according to type of philosophy; evaluate
objectively a teacher's role as a facilitator and scaffold learning through observation; examine
assessment strategies for teaching and learning; and use literature on Educational Philosophy
to explain influences on the process of teaching and learning.

The second module in the course enables students to understand the principles and processes
of carrying out an evaluation of the educational process that takes place in the classroom. They
will also learn how to evaluate the teaching and their own professional practice. By doing this,
students will become reflective practitioners who constantly seek to improve the art and science
of teaching. The objective of the course is to prepare students to understand the importance of
evaluation and the methodologies used in evaluation throughout the teaching and learning
process so as to achieve a critical review of one’s own professional development as a teacher
in a self-renewal and sustainable manner.

Students who successfully complete this course will benefit from systematically evaluate
teaching practices in the context of their roles as members of professional learning
communities; examine the relationship between their own pedagogical actions and teacher
attributes; analyze their role as teacher leaders and how school culture impacts them; and
summarize professional learning and educational practices and set their professional
development goals.

Discuss the impact of this course on your professional practice and the skills you have
developed.

Teaching is the nurturing and development of students in both their academic and personal
growth. Teaching also inculcates in the students the necessary skills to communicate and to
think critically in the 21st century in order to navigate the world around them and to be a
member of society. The education system in Malaysia has always placed a critical emphasis on
academics; however, the recent move towards values-driven education and to developing
students holistically, while still emphasizing the academics, truly captures the essence of
teaching.

The basic purpose of a teacher is to guide our students and equip them with the necessary skills
to make decisions in the future. However, another important aspect of being a teacher is the
importance of caring for the students under our tutelage and ensuring their wellbeing. Many
students may not have an adult role model around them due to circumstances, or receive
adequate guidance on decisions. As such, the teacher becomes key as a role model and as a
guide for the student, owing to the frequency in which we interact with students (students spend
most of the day in school). Many times, simply showing that care and concern for students goes
a long way in changing their mindset and getting them to open up.

The fuel that drives my passion for teaching is the desire to make a difference in the life of
students, and to prepare them, as much as I can, for life ahead and outside of school. Before I
had the opportunity to teach, my motivation for going into the teaching profession was very
much academically driven. I entered with the initial desire to raise the profile of history among
students, and Malaysians in general. However, teaching in different profiles of schools has
opened my eyes to the different profiles of students and the recurring problem of a lack of a
level playing field for many. More importantly, it has shown me that teaching is more than just
about academics, but perhaps, even more so about shaping and guiding the character and values
of students. As such, my motivation now is to strive to be the best I can for my students, to be
an effective and caring adult role model, and to hopefully make a difference in their lives, no
matter how small.

Teaching, like every other profession, has a knowledge base and requires a set of skills and
competencies to be an effective teacher in the classroom. Professional development and the
continual upgrading of our skill set and knowledge is a critical component of our knowledge
base and in our profession because change in the types of students, learning contexts and time
is constant. For instance, the education minister’s announcement to move the focus of MOE to
a more values-driven education represented a paradigm shift in Malaysia’s education and
teachers had to upgrade their skill sets and knowledge in order to align themselves with this
new change. The increasing integration of technology and social media in our lives is also
another change that we have to anticipate filtering down to the classroom. Change is constant,
and as professionals, we have to commit ourselves to continually upgrading ourselves so as not
to come into conflict with the educational fraternity and to be able to give our students the best
learning experiences.

The point brought up about how the set of values tied to the educational fraternity may conflict
with our own personal values as an educator is also a very relevant and real problem that is
often overlooked. It is critical that we are aware of what this set of values entails because a
misalignment can impact our students negatively. As teachers, we have an unprecedented
impact on the students in our classrooms and our every action can have huge ramifications.

The professionalization of teaching cannot happen without the ongoing process of inquiry,
where teachers should constantly reflect on their practice and go deep into it. There is a
necessity to always examine our own understandings of teaching and learning, in order to
reaffirm our personal teaching philosophy and give the best that we can to our students. This
is merely going beyond reflection, which can be unintentional at times; it is a deliberate,
comprehensive process in which we pose questions about our practice, collect data on it and
make informed decisions on how to improve it systematically. Inquiry also helps to build a
knowledge base for teachers by making our reflections and thoughts, as well as skills and
strategies visible to all, and this is critical for the professionalization of the teaching fraternity.

Systematically evaluate teaching practices as members of professional learning

communities

Teaching is like a salad. Think about it. If you were to attend a party for any given holiday, the
number of and variations to each salad recipe that might be present for consumption could
outnumber those present at the party. There are so many different ways to teach, varying
circumstances to take into account, and philosophies to apply to each classroom. And what
better way to have a positive impact on the world than to offer knowledge for consumption?
The term ‘teacher’ can be applied to anyone who imparts knowledge of any topic, but it is
generally more focused on those who are hired to do so. In imparting knowledge to our
students, it is inevitable that we must take into account our own personal philosophies, or
pedagogies, and determine not only how we decide what our philosophies are, but also how
those impact our consumers.

Early teacher education classes frequently separated the concept of philosophy into separate
schools (Roberson, 2000, p. 8). “Philosophy has been taught in the theoretical realm rather than
the practical sense,” meaning that the ideas were placed before the teachers without the
scaffolding to create a bridge into the classroom (Roberson, 2000, p. 7). The teachers, as
students, were given a body of thought and expected to translate that into lessons for their own
students.

What, exactly, are education philosophies? According to Thelma Roberson (2000), most
prospective teachers confuse their beliefs with the ideas of teaching (p. 6). Education
philosophies, then, are not what you want to do in class to aid learning, but why you do them
and how they work. For example, Roberson’s students state they “want to use cooperative
learning techniques” in their classroom. The question posed is, why? “Is cooperative learning
a true philosophy or is it something you do in the classroom because of your belief about the
way children learn?” (Roberson, 2000, p. 6). Philosophies need to translate ideas into action if
you want to use certain techniques, then you need to understand how they are effective in the
classroom to create that portion of your education philosophy. It helps to have an overview of
the various schools out there.

Philosophies of Education have travelled down a tree of branches. The first four support
branches of philosophy are the Idealist school, the Realist school, the Pragmatist school, and
the Existential schools of thought (Ornstein, 2003, p. 99). Teachers in learning communities
are more likely to innovate; they continually rethink their practice based on how students
perform (McLaughlin & Talbert, 2006; Vescio et al., 2008). In order to effectively reflect on
new practices, teachers need input from other professional educators, and input is provided in
the collaborative culture of a PLC.

Teachers participating in a learning community continually reaffirm their colleagues’

professional purpose to support all students (McLaughlin & Talbert, 2006; Vescio et al., 2008).
This collaborative culture of a PLC allows teachers to avoid the traditional norm of isolation
and encourages them to reflect on them practice with the goal of improving student
performance. Isolated practice is one of the contributing factors to the gap between what is
generally known about good teaching and its actual implementation in the classroom (Bird &
Little, 1986). The collaborative nature of a PLC is necessary for teachers to learn from one
another.

Educators who are building a professional learning community recognize that they must work
together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Therefore, they create structures
to promote a collaborative culture.

Despite compelling evidence indicating that working collaboratively represents best practice,
teachers in many schools continue to work in isolation. Even in schools that endorse the idea
of collaboration, the staff's willingness to collaborate often stops at the classroom door. Some
school staffs equate the term “collaboration” with congeniality and focus on building group
camaraderie. Other staffs join forces to develop consensus on operational procedures, such as
how they will respond to tardiness or supervise recess. Still others organize themselves into
committees to oversee different facets of the school's operation, such as discipline, technology,
and social climate. Although each of these activities can serve a useful purpose, none represents
the kind of professional dialogue that can transform a school into a professional learning
community.
The concept of inclusive education has been largely debated and developed within a western
context and its application within other cultural situations can be challenging. This chapter
considers how the interpretation of inclusion within India is influenced by traditional values
from within that society which may challenge some of the more conventional ideas within this
area. In particular, consideration is given to the ways in which teachers and policy makers
define those conditions that might support inclusive schooling and evaluate the ways in which
schools are responding to change.

Despite the many benefits of inclusive education, there still are many obstacles to its
implementation. Here is a list of some of the biggest barriers that educators should be aware
of.

Teachers who are not trained, who are unwilling or unenthusiastic about working with students
with different learning abilities are a barrier to successful inclusion. Students with SEN and
language barrier may need special attention or different methods of teaching and learning to
aid their understanding in the classroom. The organization is also lack of awareness or
information about school’s inclusion policy where there is no differentiation to cater some
students with SEN. This is due to a rigid curriculum that does not allow for experimentation or
the use of different teaching methods can be an enormous barrier to inclusion. Study plans that
don’t recognize different styles of learning hinder the school experience for all students, even
those not traditionally recognized as having physical or mental challenges.

Training often falls short of real effectiveness, and instructors already straining under large
workloads may resent the added duties of coming up with different approaches for the same
lesson. Language and communication can be an issue especially for the students who are not
native speakers. Many students are expected to learn while being taught in a language that is
new and, in some cases, unfamiliar to them. This is obviously a significant barrier to successful
learning. Too often, these students face discrimination and low expectations. Teachers also
struggles to

Adequate funding is a necessity for inclusion, and yet it is rare. Schools often lack adequate
facilities, qualified and appropriately trained teachers and other staff members, educational
materials and general support. Sadly, lack of resources is pervasive throughout many
educational systems. Some schools collaborate to get the materials or resources which causes
delay in getting the resources and materials. Teachers are also not paid to take up course which
the school is not offering. This can be a problem as teachers will need additional skills by taking
courses. But the school management does not agree to borne the cost.

In the other hand, workload and family factors becomes a barrier as well. Those who are
married with children might struggle more with the amount of workload from the school and
additional courses taken. Time management issue arises for those who needs to focus on the
family needs and task given by school as well. Some teachers will not have sufficient time to
complete the task or assignments given due to this barrier.

Appendix

I have learned many new 21st century teaching skills which will be useful for adapting myself
to this new era of teaching and learning. The philosophy in education opens my eyes by giving
me an idea how to take charge and control over the classroom management.

What am I interested in doing next?

I am interested in pursuing my masters in either Science or Biology. I have completed my

Degree in Education majoring in Mathematics with a foundation in Science. When I started
teaching, I focused more on science subjects especially Biology. Now that I have passion in
teaching Biology, I would like to do my Masters in Biology. The main reason would be to
expand my knowledge of fields related to my current areas of professional specialization where
my passion lies. By completing the Masters Degree in Biology, it can help me to be more
competitive in my field and I can become a life long learner.

What is my long-term goal?

My long-term goal is to be a lecturer in Biology. Biology majors will gain knowledge and
experience in the basic methods, instrumentation, and quantitative analytical skills used to
conduct scientific research in biology. Science is both a body of knowledge that represents
current understanding of natural systems and the process whereby that body of knowledge has
been established and is being continually extended, refined, and revised. Both elements are
essential: one cannot make progress in science without an understanding of both. Likewise, in
learning science one must come to understand both the body of knowledge and the process by
which this knowledge is established, extended, refined, and revised.
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