Developing critical reflection in the science learning process, it helps to change and create knowledge, enhance values and action competences among individuals and groups that allow taking responsibility for solutions and actions to complex challenges (Wals, 2007) then actively engage in improving own believes and action for the wellbeing of others and the world (Mälkki, 2010). Thus, integrating experience, exploration, dialogue, and critical reflection into science education has the potential to transform the ways for the future.
According to Larrivee, critical reflection is a cyclic process, it emphasized the three stages they are: Examination (Questioning in current practice, Challenging, Desire for change), Struggle (Inner conflict, Surrender, Uncertainty, and chaos), and perceptual shift. Like Larrivee’s views, I think if each and every science educational practitioner, researcher, teacher, educator want to change their educational practices they must be driven through these three stages for transformation. In this cyclic process, critical reflection empowers the questioning of existing practices which is the first stage for transformation. In the science professional learning community this concept also highly applied so I think for transformative science learning, critical reflection is the first step gradually pushed towards up.
Critical reflection merely replaces “bad” or unenlightened ideological content with “good,” rendering in science pedagogy distinctly uncritical or inspiring their own works.
On another side, transformative learning theory to highlight the psychic risks of collaborative teacher learning, as well as the need for practical efforts to improve student learning—the means of education—to be complemented by critical pedagogy. To create such an environment critical reflection enhanced the sustainability and long-term effectiveness of science teachers by providing opportunities within its structure to for teachers to hold open-ended conversations oriented to communicative learning encouraging transformation in the science professional community.
In the sum of critical reflection, the process enhances the science learning for the future and develops the professional capacity of the science teacher and educator gradually. Its’ role is highly significant in science learning for creating the transformative learning situation and address contemporary issues. And it helps to solve the problems of existing practices.
