Generally, critical reflection is merge of critical inquiry and self-reflection and it define as the distinguishing attribute of reflective practitioners which involves examination of personal and professional belief systems, as well as the deliberate consideration of the ethical implications and impact of practices. Like as this, Larrive argument for the teacher educator, critical reflection is critical inquiry in educational practices and self- reflection through critical reflexivity. In teaching field, it helps to examine and encounter the teacher educator deep beliefs systems which are driven the previous existing practice. It also arouses and try to be solved critical question in the power relationships that allow, or promote, one set of practices, struggles between unequal interests and groups that exist in the classroom practices but differ from term “Reflection” only.
For teacher educator, it is one way of thinking that accepts uncertainty and acknowledges dilemmas which are generated to the pedagogical implementation and must have as its explicit focus the uncovering, and challenging of power dynamics that frame our decisions and actions. It also attempts to challenge classroom hegemonic assumptions; those assumptions we embrace as being in our best interests when in fact they are working against us. This is what makes critical reflection truly critical. So, critical reflection for the teacher educator indicate the cyclic critical reflexivity in own educational practices which leads to the transformation.
In the critical theory tradition, critical reflection as illuminating power and hegemony which emphasized the justice in constant, intentional effort to uncover the power dynamics present in any group trying to work reflectively. Ultimately for teacher it is envisioning and self- reflection of own and classroom practices as well as a collaborative process. Thus, in pedagogical perspective it talks about the need colleagues, clients, peers and experts to pose questions to us, introduce new ways of looking at practice, and support us through the periods of struggle when challenging dominant assumptions threatens our sense of identity and raises the risk of our beliefs and practices.
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In another side, it shows the multilayer of reflection such as “reflect-on-action”, “reflect-in-action” and “reflect-for-action”. Critical reflection is an extension of “critical thinking”. asks us to think about our practice and ideas challenges us to step-back examine our thinking by asking probing questions It is a reasoning process to make meaning of an experience
For teacher it processes adds probing with own experiences and builds connections between course content, pedagogical approaches and the experience. According to Mezirow it shows “a process of testing the justification or validity of taken-for-granted premises” through the critical inquiry as well as critically reflection. He argues that developing as a critically reflective teacher encompasses both the capacity for critical inquiry and self-reflection by applying the conscious consideration of the moral and ethical implications and consequences of classroom practices on students.
In critical reflection period, teachers get critical reflexivity through the Self-reflection goes beyond critical inquiry by adding to conscious consideration the dimension of deep examination of personal values and beliefs, embodied assumptions of and their expectations for students. For the justification of critical reflection Dewey says that reflective thinking requires continual evaluation of beliefs, assumptions, and hypotheses against existing practices, so it is of critical or reflective thinking seem to suggest that it is primarily cognitive problem solving of the educator. If critical reflection to be developed teacher attributes greater influence to the reflection of own role and critically challenging self-imposed limitations as well as idealizations. In the teaching, teacher with this conceptualization depicts critical reflection as a matter of “stance and dance”.
On the basis of above mention views, I think for teacher or educator critical reflection is self-reflection encompasses reflexivity, deliberation, awareness, and insight turning which continuously discovers new dimensions of our strength for improvement existing status of educational activities. Consequently, it can be said that, it is personal awareness discovery process through the practices, actions and critical reflection. It developed the three basics practices in the teacher profession such as making time for solitary reflection, becoming a perpetual problem solver and questioning the status quo. Thus, it is the transformation in educational practitioner beyond prescribed linear process or define a step-by-step procedure which infused their practice with a sense of vision and purpose as they continually in new educational ground.
