Incorporating Critical Reflection in Early Childhood Teacher Education Programs

“…Some suggested strategies for engaging in critical reflection possibly leading to transformative learning are modelling and peer learning, storytelling and dialogue, coaching, and action learning conversations (Merriam, 2014, P.93).”

Objective

What does critical reflection in Early Childhood Education look like? Why is it so important for Educators to have this skill? How can I implement critical reflection skill building in my students during their teacher training program?

The BC Early Learning Framework (BC ELF) states “rethinking learning and practice is central to the vision of this framework. The following practices (pedagogies) which are intended to enhance learning and be woven into all other sections, not in linear ways but in multiple and unexpected ways (ELF, 2019, P.47).” are as follows:

Pedagogy of Listening

Critical Reflection

Collaborative Dialogue

Pedagogical Narration

Given this, how can I, as an Early Childhood Education Instructor and Workshop Facilitator, assist my students in cultivating critical reflection skills and strategies that they can apply in their daily work? By instilling these skills in students from the start of their program, they will begin to develop life long critical thinking habits that they can apply to their daily teaching practice. These habits can be naturally integrated into their daily teaching routines.

Reflective

Starting off with a brief story. Recently, I conducted a post-basic class at a new college. In the middle of the session, some students provided feedback that they were not fond of my teaching style. They were anticipating a traditional teacher-led lecture, while I had them involved in group discussions, hands-on tasks, and real problem-solving scenarios. Was I not meeting the needs of this particular group of students? This allowed me to reflect critically on the situation. Why did these students not enjoy these activities when others appreciated active learning? Was I using the (Pedagogy of Listening) and did I listen to what they were really trying to tell me? What prompted my selection of these teaching approaches (Critical Reflection)? Why did I believe these learning tasks were impactful?

This blog post focuses on instilling critical reflection skills in students, yet it emphasizes the significance of Instructors also reflecting and critically considering how to integrate this into learning activities. I found that the method of delivering these learning activities will adapt based on students' diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. Nevertheless, the significance of students honing their critical thinking skills cannot be underestimated.

Interpretive

I personally chose to engage in critical reflection by contacting the program head and my ECE mentor/counselor. The aim was to have a collaborative discussion (Collaborative Dialogue) to gain insights from various viewpoints. As a result, I discovered that culture played a significant role. Given that most students in my class were studying from abroad, they were accustomed to teacher-led lectures, which are common in some parts of the world. This change disrupted their cognitive mapping (Merriam, 2014) and learning strategies, possibly leaving them feeling vulnerable or unsure about adapting to different learning methods. So what does this mean for my teaching toolbox?

I reflected on how to approach this in my class without forgoing essential strategies for developing crucial skills in Early Childhood Education students. I aim to push students out of their comfort zones while ensuring their learning experiences remain enjoyable. "Students feel motivated and enhance meaning through challenging and engaging experiences that value their viewpoints (Merriam, 2014, P.157)." My primary objective is always to nurture their confidence and independence for their future careers.

I believe in order to get to that transformative learning students need to participate in fostering deeper understanding of concepts through collaborative dialogue, sharing experiences and preparing themselves to apply their knowledge and skills in real life scenarios. This requires actively taking lead in hands on learning activities. Perhaps it was the lack of discussion at the beginning of the course of why taking this approach to learning in Early Childhood Education is so important.

I needed to emphasize that taking a proactive role in learning experiences is a vital component in preparing for work in the field. I needed to get students enthused about taking an active role in their learning journey. The end goal is not only mastering content but mastering the application of critical thinking skills “which includes fostering peer learning, storytelling, the ability to dialogue, coaching, and engage in action learning conversations (Merriam, 2014, P. 93).” All of which collectively contribute to becoming a quality and efficient Early Childhood Educator.

Introducing concepts like the Pedagogy of Listening, Critical Reflection, Collaborative Dialogue, and Pedagogical Narration marks the beginning of a new approach for many students who may not be familiar with these types of learning experiences. However, as the BC ELF states it is about "rethinking learning and practice and becoming critically reflective in our daily experiences (ELF, 2019, P.47) ".

It is important to also note that the BC ELF is process oriented with no beginning and no end. It is a journey that can transform and transcend in many different directions, like the "roots of a fern that are dynamic and exploratory, where new possibilities can emerge" (ELF, 2019, P.47). No matter how experienced or new an Early Childhood Educator is to the field there is always an opportunity for further reflection and new understanding. The Early Childhood Educator holds the responsibility of actively participating in lifelong reflective practice and acquiring the abilities to think critically with a growth mindset.

Since these skills are critical for the 21st century Early Childhood Educator maybe the gap is simply in the lack of clarity prior to beginning the teacher education training. Programs could stipulate that Early Childhood Education Teacher Training Programs require students to take lead in their learning, to be flexible, open to change, have a willingness to address bias, look at multiple perspectives and collaborate with classmates to problem solve and reflect deeply in order to build the skills required for the field. This could enhance the quality of teacher education and may lead to better student outcomes and contribute to the overall improvement of the teacher education system. Indicating this before enrollment would enable students to ready themselves to embrace new learning opportunities, face challenges, and experience significant growth, positively impacting their performance in Early Childhood Settings and in building a competent and knowledgeable workforce.

Decisional

Here are some strategies I thought I could use in my class to build critical reflection skills for the 21st century Early Childhood Educator.

ECE Classroom Reflection Book: Similar to the communication book used in childcare centers. ECE students can jot down thoughts, topics, experiences and ideas that come to them throughout the days/weeks/months of their program. At the end of each week the class can create dialogue and critically reflect in a collaborative manner.

Individual Reflection Portfolio: Have students write daily entries in a reflection portfolio. Inspiration may come from course content, assignments, activities, discussions etc. At the end of the course have stundents reflect on their documentation and look at their growth and change.

Friday Round Table Discussions: Create time at the end of each week for students to engage in a round table discussion. They can bring forth any ideas, thoughts, view points on any topics of interest. This also allows students to build their confidence in participating in dialogue and storytelling while developing listening skills and becoming aware of bias.

Peer Mentorship: Pair a senior student with a newer student to help students develop modelling and leadership skills as well as the ability to reflect on feedback and work collectively as a team.

Weekly Scenario Reflection: Introduce a real-life childcare scenario at the beginning of the week. Ask students to problem solve and think about how they would address the situation when working in the field. At the end of the week have students generate a discussion on potential strategies or approaches the would use towards a resolution.

“References”

Early learning framework - gov.bc.ca. (n.d.). https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/early-learning/teach/earlylearning/early_learning_framework.pdf

Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. (2014). Linking Theory and Practice. Jossey-Bass. 

Remember "Enjoy every given moment".

Love Nika

Blog Post © 2024 by Nika Jibrael is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0