The Role of Teachers’ Experiential Learning and Reflection for Enhanching their Autonomous Personal and Professional Development

Abstract

Today's teachers are not only teaching, but they have to fulfill various educational roles. This situation demands teachers to learn continuously. They should develop themselves to improve students' achievement. To grow continuously, teachers should not just wait for formal, instructed or top-down training or learning. They should be autonomous and self directed. They should be aware and analyze what they need and how they should obtain knowledge or skill that they need. Autonomous teachers learn by reflecting their daily teaching and learning experiences. They use their experience as opportunity to learn. There are three main sources of teachers' learning: their teaching experiences, sharing ideas in professional communities, and by researching.

Reflection: a means to faculty engagement in meaningful continuing professional development

“…Beyond serving as a trigger for reflection, interviewees also discussed the importance of dialogue in building community and providing support among faculty members. This is consistent with findings from other studies such as Hoekstra andKorthagen (2011), andSuryani andWidyastuti (2015). According to Suryani and Widyastuti (2015), without the sharing of ideas with others, teachers may become absorbed in their daily teaching routine and miss important aspects of their teaching practice.…”

“…This discrepancy leads to inner discomfort" (Pammer et al, 2011, p. 48). For example, the study by Suryani and Widyastuti (2015) found three main sources of reflection and learning for teachers. Namely, their teaching experiences, sharing ideas in professional communities, and researching.…”

“…The teaching experiences of teachers are filled with opportunities for reflection and learning from practice. As Suryani and Widyastuti (2015) explain, teachers do not have to rely on theory alone, but can explore their learning environment for examples and situations that led to inner discomfort. These serve as opportunities for learning and development, and may range from curriculum improvement, classroom management, to assessment techniques.…”

“…Lastly, research can help teachers identify gaps in their knowledge by gathering data on their practice and comparing it to other sources of information such as published research, journals, and the experiences of other teachers. According to Suryani and Widyastuti (2015), in order for teachers to be able to research their teaching practice, they must be aware of their needs and classroom setting, and have the necessary skills to synthesise and evaluate the data collected.…”

The 5I’s of Virtual Technologies in Laboratory Teaching for Faculties of Higher Education in Kerala

“…Furthermore, in order to improve student achievement, today's circumstances need instructors who are also continuing to learn, develop, and evolve. They should be aware of what they require and how they will obtain the information or skills they desire, and they should reflect on their everyday experiences to enhance their teaching and learning skills (Suryani & Widyastuti, 2015).…”