I was asked to look at Valli’s Typology of Reflection as a potential tool for reflecting on my own teaching.
Valli (1997) puts forward five types of reflection:
- Technical reflection
- Reflection in action and reflection on action
- Deliberative reflection
- Personalistic reflection
- Critical reflection
When I think about my experience and how I have historically reflected as a teacher, I have focused on my teaching performance and how closely my lessons matched my students’ needs.
Although all of Valli’s types of reflection seemed useful, the one which most resonated with me was the second one ‘Reflection in action and reflection on action’. Valli describes this process as involving thinking about the teacher’s own performance and their teaching context.
My aim going forward is to attempt to follow this type of reflection, focusing on teaching beliefs, my context and the students I am teaching.
I also think that working in a college environment, it is essential for me to consider what Valli calls ‘Deliberative reflection’ which involves thinking about the curriculum and rules of the institution, and how this influences my teaching decisions.
References
- Minott, M.A. 2008, “Valli’s typology of reflection and the analysis of pre-service teachers’ reflective journals”, Australian Journal of Teacher Education (Online), vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 55-65.
