Reflective Practice: An Option for Teacher Training in Educational Inclusion

Inclusive education is an approach that recognizes equal rights, non-discrimination, and the right to education, providing equal access and quality education that respects and values diversity. Inclusive education provides students with access to educational centers. It guarantees their participation and learning, avoiding any act of marginalization, especially of groups that have been historically excluded, such as the disabled, Indigenous peoples, migrants, or people experiencing homelessness. Among the main challenges facing inclusive education are teacher training and the need for educational institutions to transform their culture, policies, and practices. To offer inclusive education, institutions must strengthen and align their programs with inclusive values and ethical principles such as respect, empathy, collaboration, and tolerance.

In Mexico, the Ministry of Education of the State of Nuevo Leon (SENL) has Inclusive Education Units (UDEI) within its organizational structure. These units provide specialized educational services in collaboration with primary schools. The focus is on populations at risk of exclusion who require Specialized Educational Care (AEE). However, in Nuevo Leon’s public primary schools, it has not been possible to achieve 100% UDEI coverage; significant progress has been achieved, but much work still needs to be completed. Currently, 262 UDEI collaborate with more than 1,902 schools in 43 of the 51 municipalities in the state. The municipalities of Agualeguas, Los Aldama, Doctor Coss, Doctor Gonzales, Los Herrera, Higueras, Paras, and Rayones still need more coverage.

Reflective practice as a training option for the UDEI team

A UDEI director is responsible for the most important function of promoting inclusive education. Each UDEI has an interdisciplinary team that includes a specialist support teacher, communication teacher, psychologist, and social worker. These professionals working in public basic education schools (including early childhood, primary, and secondary schools) collaborate with teachers and school administrators to ensure that all students of any physical or sensory condition and social and racial origin have access to inclusive quality education (SENL, 2022, p.19).

UDEI interdisciplinary team training is a priority because the team members are responsible for guiding, advising, and accompanying directors, teachers, and parents and providing specialized educational attention to students. The complexity of designing a training strategy for the personnel who comprise the UDEI lies in the specific training needs of each member, which vary depending on the function and educational level in which they work.

Considering a training proposal that fits the needs of each teacher is a very complex task. However, reflective practice is one of the most effective training options to improve teaching practices in all educational modalities and levels, regardless of the work context. Reflective practice links theory and practice, returning to the socially constructive practices of dialogue, narrative, and collaborative work that lead to critical thinking.

Fundamentals of Reflective Practice

In his book Democracy and Education (1916), John Dewey brought attention to this critical-reflexive perspective with his exposition on experiential learning and reflective teaching. Subsequently, in 1983, Donald Schön introduced the concept of “reflective practice” in his publication The Reflective Professional: How Professionals Think in Action. Schön proposed training through reflective practice, explaining that expert professionals apply theoretical technical knowledge and reflect in practice and about practice, which is called reflection in action and about action. Other educational theorists wrote similarly, such as Kolb, who proposed in 1984 an experiential learning model that includes reflection to promote meaningful learning that contributes to personal and professional development.

Philippe Perrenoud (2011) took up Schön’s ideas in his book Developing Reflective Practice in the Craft of Teaching, pointing out that “not everything is in books” and that theoretical knowledge is essential and necessary but not sufficient (p.15). Schön (1992) applied this principle to other professions. Still, Perrenoud limited it to the teaching profession by arguing that reflective practice cannot be universal because it must consider the unique reality experienced in each profession.

On the other hand, according to Domingo (2021), the reflective professional is a teacher who perceives educational realities as complex, dynamic, and changing phenomena. From this perspective, reflective professionals analyze their context before designing and structuring interventions, making contextual adjustments considering diversity. Domingo argues that the reflective professional “has a wide range of personal skills that enable him or her to research, analyze, reflect, and create” (p.6).

Activities and tools that strengthen teachers’ reflective practices

In 2018, the National Institute for the Evaluation of Education (INEE) presented Guidelines to Improve Teacher Training and Professional Development Policies in Primary Education. This document attempts to clarify teachers’ professional development. Its definition highlights “permanent reflection, individual and collective, in its practice and on it.” The document goes beyond discussing the reflective teacher to consider systematic reflection that the teacher does not necessarily have because teachers need to learn to reflect critically; they must be guided and accompanied in this process.

In Latin America in 2019, Argentine researchers Graciela Cappelletti and Rebeca Anijovich published Narrative Documents and Reflective Practice in Teacher Training, emphasizing using autobiographies and field diaries to promote reflective practice. It also features the work of Mexican authors Sara Elvira Galban, who published Towards Reflective Teaching (2016), addressing the principles of reflective practice, and Ingrid Eugenia Cerecero (2018), who proposed a new model called mediated reflective practice. Also, the National Commission for the Continuous Improvement of Education, Mejoredu, has promoted reflective practice not only in the classroom but also in the school and community to identify strengths and limitations, allowing teachers to create awareness of what they do, why they do it, and for what purpose (2022a, p.15).

Tools and strategies to strengthen reflective practice

• The logbook is a daily record that includes the date, number of students, topic, achievements, difficulties, and relevant events. It can also contain the teacher’s reflections; the trajectory over time can be seen if this record is done systematically.

• The reflective diary allows for documenting what happens in practice; it can contain descriptions, opinions, and experiences. It is a double reflective exercise because analysis occurs when writing, and reading the entry offers a new, distanced perspective. This tool contributes to both professional and personal development.

• Case studies are frequently used in special education. They allow addressing a situation where each team member, from their area of specialization, makes contributions that they later share with their colleagues. This information helps to improve practices and decision-making.

• Anecdotal records comprise direct observations of students, and they differ from the logbook, which records significant or unusual events. However, it is essential to determine the purpose of anecdotal records from the outset.

• Life stories are one of the most introspective tools for reflection. They contain autobiographical stories, collecting both personal and school experiences. Our interactions and dialogues with our colleagues, students, tutors, and family members nourish them. They allow us to see our teaching journey through personal perspective and experience.

• Reflective dialogue among peers. Some of the teacher’s contextual experiences include their peers and colleagues who discuss best practices or challenges they face. It is essential to maintain active listening and avoid making judgments to benefit the most.

When used systematically, these tools promote practice reflection. They provide valuable information that leads to practice improvement and research projects that enrich the profile of the research professor. The double benefit includes a) teachers with a deeper and more critical level of reflection and b) students who can develop critical thinking, considered an articulating axis in the 2022 curriculum.

Knowing the profile of the UDEI teacher

In 2021, I researched the most appropriate training strategy for the UDEI team, considering that it needed to be accessible and affordable. The first step was to identify the teacher profile, their level of participation in formal continuous training during the last two years, the areas they consider training priorities, the degree of reflection on their pedagogical intervention, and the study and learning strategies they employ. The research sample included 20 teachers who work in two different special education centers:

1. Multiple Attention Centers (inclusive schools that provide primary education to students with disabilities).
2. UDEI

Regarding continuous training, the research found that more than half of the teachers did not participate in any training process. Among the reasons they gave was the need for more time and economic resources. They also indicated they prefer training during working hours and in their workplace or school zone. Such training would include workshops, peer meetings, and case studies, allowing the exchange of information. It was imperative to them that the training would not cost them additional expenses. The training areas that the teachers considered a priority per their functions were inclusion, equity, and school friendliness, followed by attention to the gaps in equity.

In March 2022, I applied an instrument to determine the teachers’ levels of reflection in the same sample. One of the findings suggests that years of teaching service do not determine a teacher’s level of reflection. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage and guide the teaching staff to reflect on their practice systematically.

To learn more about the work of the teachers, in June 2022, I conducted a narrative interview with five teachers to hear first-hand how they faced practice challenges. As they narrated the events, I saw how they reflected more profoundly on their practice, thus observing what Schön described as “reflection in action.” During the narrative interview, they questioned their actions and identified the barriers that the students faced, as well as their interests and motivations. They also described working with their colleagues. Thus, this instrument (the narrative interview) was a reflective exercise per se.

The teachers commented on the progress they saw in the students and how it motivated them. For example, upon seeing the student’s reaction, one teacher realized that the material she had given her was not age-appropriate, so she made some adjustments. Another teacher mentioned the work environment influencing her teaching practice. The support colleagues give each other to face challenging situations, and materials’ research, search, and design keep students motivated.

This narrative experience allowed me to understand that teachers can continue training in their workplaces with their colleagues when they receive guidance in this reflective process, opening spaces for dialogue and peer exchanges of experiences. Developing a training proposal that fits the diverse needs of special education teachers is highly complex. However, reflective practice offers accessible contextual training at all educational levels.

Reflective practice is more relevant for specialist teachers. The bibliographic review found convergences between the profiles of the inclusive and reflective teachers. To prepare the following list of convergences, we considered the Guide for Inclusion by Ainscow, Booth, and Larrivee’s levels of reflection.

At the end of the research, I realized the essentiality of continuously reflecting on our practices while systematically keeping a record that allows follow-up for improvements. Therefore, I invite my colleagues to return to practices like the logbook, field diary, case study, anecdotal records, life story, and peer reflective dialogues, not as an administrative requirement but as inputs that inform teaching practices and allow reflecting and exchanging experiences with peers. Remember that continuous training is a shared responsibility in this context, so teachers’ attitudes and dispositions are vital factors.

Reflection

This research was part of a master’s thesis to support special education teachers during their training journey. The objective was to identify the most viable teacher training model for the UDEI team in my school area. During the interviews, I observed the importance of pausing so that teachers could listen to themselves to value their achievements and dimension their challenges. Educational centers train both students and teachers, so it is necessary to open spaces for dialogue, peer visits, feedback, and exchange of best practices.

A teacher specializing in inclusive education necessarily must be reflective. They must also promote reflection on teaching practices with the colleagues with whom they collaborate. It will impact the continuous improvement of the teaching staff while fostering an inclusive culture and practices that lead to inclusive learning environments.

I invite my colleagues to join this educational transformation through reflective practice. I encourage you to share your experiences and challenges, be open to feedback and dialogue with colleagues, and form support networks with teachers who, like you, seek improvement daily. Has reflective practice impacted your teaching work? Please write to me to clarify any questions or exchange ideas.

About the author

María Teresa Macías Torres (maciast0408@gmail.com) has a degree in Special Education with a specialty in Hearing and Language Disorders, a master’s degree in Psychopedagogy from the School of Education Sciences and a master’s degree in Teacher Training from the National Pedagogical University. She is the Director of an Inclusive Education Unit in Santiago, Nuevo Leon, México.

References

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Editing

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Edited by Rubí Román (rubi.roman@tec.mx) – Editor of the Edu bits articles and producer of The Observatory webinars- “Learning that inspires” – Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education at Tec de Monterrey.

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Translation

Daniel Wetta

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