Introduction to Critical Reflection and Action for Teacher Researchers

Introducing Critical Reflection and Action for Teacher Researchers provides crucial direction for educators looking to improve their teaching and maximise learning. While many students can grasp the basic elements of researching their practice and can write about practitioner research, some need guidance and assistance to reflect meaningfully on their teaching practice so as to articulate their educational values. This book provides this guidance. It also shows readers how to engage in critical reflection so as to identify their learning and generate theory from it.

The book explores how to engage in an authentic, practical and personalised framework, allowing critical reflection and action on educational practice. Moving through the process of reflecting on practice, engaging in critical thinking, and planning and taking action, it helps the reader to subsequently generate educational theory from their own personal learning. Examples from the authors’ experiences illustrate the objectives and issues raised in each section, with ‘Pause and Reflect’ activities, guidelines for conducting a research project, and annotated further reading available for every chapter.

Introducing Critical Reflection and Action for Teacher Researchers is based on the idea that reflection is in itself is a deliberate action and something we must live - it is key to understanding our practice and is a core component of action research. This book is a valuable guide for teachers, trainee teachers and researchers interested in reflecting on and enhancing their teaching practice.

Bernie Sullivan is a former principal of a primary school in Dublin. She currently works as a tutor for second-level student teachers on school placement in St. Patrick’s College, Thurles and also supervises action research projects for Mathematics teachers undertaking postgraduate studies in the University of Limerick.

Mairin Glenn works in Co. Mayo, Ireland, as a primary school teacher and school principal. She also works as part-time tutor in the area of self-study action research with students on Masters programmes in St. Angela’s College, Sligo; St. Patrick’s College, Dublin and Hibernia College.

Mary Roche: following a career in primary teaching, Mary lectured in primary English in MIC Limerick (B Ed) and on Action Research (M Ed) in UCC, and is now lecturing in education in St Patrick’s College Thurles. She is the author ofDeveloping Children’s Critical Thinking through Picturebooks (Routledge 2015 which was highly commended for Academic Book Award UKLA 2015).

Caitriona McDonagh spent many years as a primary teacher. Recently she has supported teacher continuous professional learning and initial teacher education across a number of settings and teacher education colleges in Ireland.