Erich Petlák, PhD Self-Reflection as Basis of a Teacher’s Work Prejeto 15.06.2021 / Sprejeto 01.12.2021 Znanstveni članek UDK 373.3.091:37.011.3-051 KLJUČNE BESEDE: učitelj, učenec, samorefleksija, vprašalnik, metode samorefleksije POVZETEK – Reforme izobraževalnih sistemov, ino- vacije v vsebini izobraževanja in poudarek na kako- vosti izobraževanja učiteljev so področja, ki jim je treba nameniti posebno pozornost. Učitelji imajo še posebej odgovorno vlogo. Uporabiti morajo samore- fleksijo, ki je osnova za izboljšanje učiteljevega dela, in s tem tudi sredstvo, ki vodi do učinkovitosti izo- braževanja. V raziskavi proučujemo odnos učiteljev do izbranih področij samorefleksije. V ospredju je po- gostost samorefleksije učitelja in pozornost vodstva šole, na kaj se učitelji osredotočajo in katere metode samorefleksije uporabljajo. Pomembno je, kako uči- telji dojemajo vpliv samorefleksije o izobraževanju ali ovirah za bolj dosledno in sistematično pouče- vanje. Raziskavo smo izvedli na slovaških osnovnih šolah z učitelji osnovnih šol leta 2020. Received 15.06.2021 / Accepted 01.12.2021 Scientific paper UDC 373.3.091:37.011.3-051 KEYWORDS: teacher, pupil, self-reflection, question- naire, methods of self-reflection ABSTRACT – Reforms of education systems, innova- tion in the content of education, and emphasis on the quality of teacher education are areas that receive spe- cial attention. Teachers have a particularly responsi- ble role to play. They need to use self-reflection, which is the basis for teacher improvement and thus also a means leading to the effectiveness of education. Based on the research, the article describes the attitudes of teachers to selected areas of self-reflection. These re- late to the frequency of self-reflection on the part of the teacher, the attention paid by the school management, what teachers focus on, and what methods of self-re- flection they use. It is important to know how teachers perceive the influence of self-reflection on education, or barriers to more consistent and systematic teaching. The research was conducted at Slovak primary schools with primary school teachers in 2020. 1 Introduction Of the many youth education strategies, attention was paid to developing the pro- fessional potential of teachers, including reflecting on their own performance (Brown and Race, 1995; Fullan, 2012; Muchacka, Kaleta-Witusiak and Walasek-Jarosz, 2013). Reflectivity in the educational process is basically as old as school itself (Dróźka, 2006; Razdevšek Pučko, 1996; Zupančič and Krajnčan, 2019). In the current era of moderni- zation and increasingly demanding knowledge requirements, it is becoming an integral part of education and extremely important for the new rationality of thinking and act- ing (Kohútová 2018; Meyer, 2009; Seyfried, Seel and Huber, 2006; Holcar Brunauer, Deutsch and Cankar, 2017). What is self-reflection? Reflection in pedagogy means thinking about the past pedagogical situation from the teacher’s point of view, which is then illuminated and re-examined from all sides 42 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021) so that we can better understand and consciously learn from it (Altrichter and Posch, 2007; Petlak and Hupkova 2004). Self-reflection describes the activity of thinking about oneself. This means analysing and questioning one’s own thoughts, feelings and actions in order to find out more about oneself (Grüters, 2011). The ability to look at oneself objectively, not biased from the outside; to evaluate one’s positive and negative aspects; to draw “growth points”. Reflection is a human skill that consists of introspection and of being aware of one’s behaviour and actions. Self-reflection is like “looking in a mirror” and describing what you see. It is a way to evaluate yourself, your working methods, and the way you learn. Simply put, “reflection” means thinking about something (Muchacka, Kaleta-Witusiak and Walasek-Jarosz, 2013). Pedagogical reflection as a problem of theory has become a significant phenomenon in educational practice, thanks to Schön (1983) – he is the author of the term “reflective practitioner”. Reflective practice in teaching is arguably one of the most important sources of per- sonal professional development and improvement. Effective teachers are first to admit that no matter how good a lesson is, their practice can always be improved. Teacher reflection is important because it is a process that helps teachers to collect, record, and analyse everything that happened in the lesson. It allows teachers to move from just experiencing, to understanding (Spalding, 2020). Psychology also deals with pedagogical reflection. I present the theory of Karpov (2004) from several perspectives. It describes 3 types of reflectivity: □ situational reflectivity – it results from a specific situation; □ back reflectivity – focuses on the past; □ perspective reflectivity – future-oriented. Day also mentions self-reflection in his work, saying that the ability to self-reflect is a necessary condition for self-understanding. He considers reflectivity to be a neces- sary condition for the professional development of every teacher (Day, 2003). These ideas are sufficient to understand the nature and significance of self-reflection. For a more comprehensive view, I emphasize the authors who write that a modern view of education means: self-reflection, critical thinking, and planning the educational process (Rubin, 2013; Petlák, 2020). Klemp (2014) describes a more concise essence of reflection. He states that reflec- tion is not just the simple process of thinking, but much more. It is based on the Latin word reflectere: re – back, flectere – bend, rotate. According to him, it is not just a mat- ter of simple thinking, but of thinking, returning to the previous knowledge, which leads to new knowledge. Teachers’ attitudes towards self-reflection Self-reflection must be a natural and daily part of a teacher’s work. Reflective prac- tice in teaching is arguably one of the most important sources of personal professional development and improvement. Effective teachers are first to admit that no matter how good a lesson is, their practice can always be improved. Teacher reflection is important because it is a process that helps teachers to collect, record, and analyse everything 43 Erich Petlák, PhD: Self-Reflection as Basis of a Teacher’ s Work that happened in the lesson. It allows teachers to move from just experiencing, to un- derstanding. If they do not question themselves about what their experiences mean and think actively about them, research has shown that they will not make any changes and therefore will not improve (Johns, 2006; Spalding, 2020; Finlay and Gough, 2003). However, a lot also depends on what “manner” of thinking the teacher has. They can be teachers with fixed mindsets who believe that their qualities are unchangeable, or teachers with growth mindsets who feel they can improve their qualities through effort (Dweck, 2007). 2 Method and research design Research was conducted in 2020 using the questionnaire method. I examined the opinions and attitudes of primary school teachers on how they perceive self-reflection. I complemented the questionnaire method with interviews with teachers to get to know their views more comprehensively. The questionnaires were filled in by 452 teach- ers who were from all regions of Slovakia. The interview was conducted as a com- plementary method with 100 teachers who had filled in the questionnaire. I relied on several questionnaires: Cuestionario de satisfacciónlaboraldel personal docente e in- vestigador – Spain and QuestionárioDesenvolvimentoProfissional dos Professores – a questionnaire by M. A. Flores, Portugal, which I adjusted according to the intentions and goals of the research. The questionnaire contained more than 50 items. For this article, I have selected only a part of the research results that are directly related to self- reflection. The results of the research are quite extensive and together take up more than 60 pages. In this article, I describe only selected research results. Participants In the qualitative research, I used a deliberate selection of 452 respondents – 410 women and 42 men. Feminization at primary schools is very significant. Gradually, however, it is beginning to change and men are also becoming interested in working at primary schools. This is related to salary adjustments, as the government has sig- nificantly increased the salaries of novice teachers. As a result, interest in teaching is beginning to grow. For the research, I selected teachers with 6 or more years of teaching experience to a maximum of 35 years of experience. The reasons behind the range of years are as follows: teachers with less than 5 years of practice do not have much need for self-reflection; they still use the innovative knowledge they gained through their teacher education studies. For teachers with 35 years of experience, the use of self- reflection is assumed, but as they begin to prepare for retirement, their motivation to in- novate in education decreases. Originally, I wanted to evaluate the attitudes of teachers according to the length of teaching practice and gender. I did not notice any differences in opinions that would be statistically significant, so I present the results regardless of gender or length of practice. 44 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021) 3 Results The results show that most teachers are aware of the importance of self-reflection. However, regardless of this positive evaluation, I consider the number 139 or 30.7 % to be high. More than a quarter of teachers use self-reflection at random – occasionally. On the other hand, I consider the number 186 or 41.2 % to be optimistic; it expresses the teachers’ own dissatisfaction with the results of their work, which leads to self- reflection and creative thinking about the lesson. It follows that more than half of the teachers use self-reflection in their work. Table 1 Frequency of self-reflection of pedagogical-didactic activities Frequency of self-reflection n % after each lesson 64 14.2 occasionally 139 30.7 if the teaching aims are not met 186 41.2 if there are good results 63 13.9 Selection from the teachers’ statements: “If a teacher does not apply self-reflection, it is impossible to teach creatively.”; “Whenever I teach students the learning content well, I think about what I did well and what I can use in the next lessons.”; “Self-reflec- tion is a kind of reward that a teacher gives himself.” Table 2 Attention paid to self-reflection by school management The school management and self-reflection of teachers n % school management is interested in self-reflection 242 35.5 school management is not interested in self-reflection 163 36.1 there is only occasional self-reflection 47 10.4 Self-reflection is considered important in schools; more than half the teachers said that the school management deals with teacher self-reflection and is interested in im- proving it as one of the means to increase teaching efficiency (242 or 35.5 % and 47 or 10.4 %, respectively). Of course, the figure 163 or 36.1 % is not satisfactory and proves the need to increase attention. The interviews showed that self-reflection is part of the work portfolio of most schools. Teachers’ attitudes are regularly analysed at pedagogical meetings. Selection from the teachers’ statements: “At each pedagogical meeting, the school management analyses how creativity in the work of teachers and students has improved under the in- fluence of the latest methods and forms of teaching.”; “The results of the work of teach- 45 Erich Petlák, PhD: Self-Reflection as Basis of a Teacher’ s Work ers who achieve good learning outcomes are shown at pedagogical meetings, while their approaches to teaching are also briefly described.” However, in addition to these positive answers, other attitudes were also noted: “The school management does not interfere in the pedagogical-didactic activities of teachers. Only the students’ results are decisive.”; “According to the school manage- ment, self-reflection is the teacher’ s personal matter.” Teachers’ statements have shown that self-reflection is not a priority for all school leaders. If negative results are manifested, self-reflection becomes the “school pro- gramme”. The following statements speak about this: “Teachers work on their own, but if students are found to be lagging behind, then teachers’ approaches to teaching are evaluated at the school.”; “In case of students’ insufficient knowledge, the number of class observations will increase and the teacher’ s methods of work will be analysed.”; “Questions of self-reflection are topical especially when the teacher is preparing for further education. The school management recommends that the teacher reflect on his/ her teaching methods at work.” The respondents believe that self-reflection should be more systematic. Self-reflection involves several areas; it can have a complex character, but it can also be focused only on a specific area in which the teacher wants to improve. As part of the research, I was interested in what teachers prefer. Table 3 Self-reflection and its focus Focus of self-reflection n % focus on overall teaching innovation 112 24.8 focus on teaching methods and forms 80 17.7 focus on the methodology of a certain subject 72 15.9 focus on creativity 64 14.2 focus on evaluation 64 14.2 focus on classroom climate 48 10.8 other 12 2.6 The results show a prominent and desirable focus on the innovation of teaching methods and forms. The respondents also commented on other areas that were included in the questionnaire because they indicate major problems. Creativity in schools is not at the desired level; the diagnostic observations of students, etc., deserve more atten- tion. In connection with increasing attention to the students’ quality of life at school, I was also interested in the attitude of teachers to the classroom climate. Although the results are basically satisfying, it should be noted that a higher percentage of the focus of self-reflection on creativity, diagnosis and evaluation, and on the classroom climate would be preferred. Table No. 3 shows the distribution of the focus of self-reflection on individual areas. 46 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021) Selection from the teachers’ statements: “If we want to achieve better results, we must approach teaching comprehensively – that is, understand new tendencies, new methods and forms of work. Without it, progress is not possible.”; “I approach teaching by modernizing everything I can, e.g., activities and methods, of which there are many today. I offer teachers ideas on how to teach effectively and well.” With regard to the subjects, they most often mentioned a focus on mathematics and the Slovak language, which justified the shortcomings in mathematical and reading literacy determined by PISA. The focus of interest on these subjects is considered ben- eficial for self-reflection. Concerning creativity, evaluation, diagnosis and class climate, the teachers also mentioned their importance for the emotionality in teaching. This has been significantly appreciated in recent years. It is gratifying to know that it has also found its place in the self-reflection of teachers. As “other” respondents stated: “Neuroscience brings new perspectives and tasks for teachers, which will mark and change the work of the past.”; “Self-reflection cannot be forced, it must come from the teacher himself.” Table 4 Methods of self-reflection (open question – respondents stated their approaches) Methods of self-reflection n % self-observation and self-reflection 86 19.8 coordinating work with new literature 85 18.8 discussions with colleagues 73 16.2 interviews and questionnaires for students 69 15.3 mutual lesson observation 51 11.3 video recording the lesson 32 7.1 writing works for further education 25 5.5 use of webinars on the Internet 23 5.0 writing a pedagogical diary 4 0.9 other 4 0.9 The results clearly show the distribution of self-reflection methods, but even more so to what teachers attach the greatest importance in their improvement. The research confirmed the preference for classical approaches to self-reflection. In real practice, the methods of video recording and subsequent analysis, use of webinars, and writing works for further education are not used. This area, in particular, will need to be changed so that the quality of the teacher’s work is ensured through consistent self-reflection. A small percentage of teachers who write a pedagogical diary is understandable, because in Slovakia such self-reflection is not used. In another questionnaire and subsequently in the interviews, the following was re- corded: “My method of self-reflection is the positive evaluation of my work from the parents of pupils. I improve in self-reflection through informal conversations with col- leagues.” 47 Erich Petlák, PhD: Self-Reflection as Basis of a Teacher’ s Work Table 5 Benefits of self-reflection Benefits of self-reflection n % improvement of work 147 32.5 improving pupils’ knowledge 137 30.3 benefits for the school 99 21.9 benefits for colleagues 64 14.2 other 5 1.1 The respondents expressed what they perceive to be the most significant benefits of using self-reflection. It is only right that they do not apply self-reflection only to their work, but perceive its significance and contribution in a broader context – its benefits for colleagues and the school. Opinions differed in the questionnaires and interviews: “Self-reflection cannot be narrowed down to the teacher alone – it has an impact on the overall success of the school and the team.”; “If you want to be a good professional in teaching, you have to realize several benefits of self-reflection.”; “A teacher who does not appreciate self- reflection cannot move forward.” Table 6 Results of self-reflection Results of self-reflection n % more careful thinking about education 116 25.6 more careful thinking about selected problems 103 22.8 comparison of work with professional literature 79 17.5 getting rid of some doubts 60 13.3 contribution to a different lesson design 59 13.1 contributed to the development of my systematic self-education 35 7.7 These results confirm the main goals of self-reflection, i.e., thinking about educa- tion and areas where the teacher is not doing well in students’ learning. I also consider other statements to be very important – a comparison of teaching procedures with the literature, getting rid of doubts, but especially a change in the teaching design. I consid- er this to be extremely beneficial, together with the benefit of systematic self-education. It is often stated that self-reflection in teachers is not the subject of their attention and interest as would be desirable. The reason lies in various barriers, which are both objective and subjective. What do they consider to be barriers? 48 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021) Table 7 The barrier to self-reflection What does not support self-reflection? n % too much paperwork 99 21.9 difficult curriculum 98 21.7 focus on results, less on methods 90 20.0 self-satisfaction with work 79 17.5 formality of further education 64 14.2 problems in the continuing education of teachers 15 3.2 other 7 1.5 The answers of the respondents are perceived to be authentic. In the last 30 years, there have been several reforms in education in Slovakia that have not been successfully completed. With the change of government, the concept of education has also changed. It was also translated into demands on teachers – new learning content, new work plan- ning method, a different system, student evaluations, etc. All this has had an impact on education and its results. The reality is that previous attempts to reform education have not brought about the desired results. None of the reforms were completed; the inten- tions of education always changed with the change of government. That is also why the Slovak education system, according to its own evaluations, does not achieve the desirable results. A selection from the answers: “Learning comes second; different plans and statis- tics come first.”; “Little attention is paid to teaching, and different kinds of testing are emphasized.”; “It is necessary to have clear and lasting visions in education, which will then also affect the self-reflection of work.” 4 Discussion The results show that teachers perceive and appreciate self-reflection as an im- portant means of teaching, which helps them to improve and upgrade their teaching practice. The analysis of the first area suggests certain reservations, as 41.2 % use self-reflec- tion only if they fail to achieve the desired effect. On the other hand, it is gratifying to know that they use self-reflection even when they achieve good results and thus exam- ine the essence of these good results through self-reflection. However, the results of the survey show that there are some reservations in the school management. Not all school managements are interested in the self-reflection of their teachers. The fact that 36.1 % of schools do not pay attention to this is not con- sidered optimal. Based on the above, it is recommended that the methodological and 49 Erich Petlák, PhD: Self-Reflection as Basis of a Teacher’ s Work subject commissions in schools deal with this issue more. This should be their task and they should also encourage school leaders to do so. It is only right that teachers realize that self-reflection is not only about the teaching methodology, but also focuses on other aspects of education. This was reflected in the responses to the focus of self-reflection. The answers reflected its topicality, as special emphasis is being placed on the requirement to develop pupils’ creativity and on the objective evaluation of the results of their learning activities. The same is being applied, e.g., to the classroom climate, because education is now beginning to greatly emphasize the pupil’s quality of life at school, which is also influenced by the climate of the school and the classroom. The methods and benefits of self-reflection according to the respondents’ answers are a good reflection of reality. Despite this evaluation, however, it has been noted that newer, more progressive methods are insufficiently used, e.g., video, webinars, personal diaries, and the processing of self-reflection into written work as part of further educa- tion and career growth. It is on this aspect that the school management needs to focus more, so that their professional work is not just a formal fulfilment of tasks, but a real benefit for the teacher and for the team of teachers. It has not yet received the attention it deserves. From the respondents’ statement on how self-reflection contributed to their work, those that mention how it led them to work with professional literature, to take up fur- ther education, and especially that it changed the design of their lessons, are particularly important. Thus, self-reflection manifests itself not only in making the teacher “think”, but also in leading him/her to further research. Self-reflection and action research con- stitute a whole that brings about better teaching. Yes, there are factors that can inhibit self-reflection. These can be objective or sub- jective. The solution or removal of the objective factors is beyond the teacher’s capacity (hasty and unverified education reforms, various new regulations, etc.). Of course, res- ignation would be a mistake. Schools and teachers must look for ways to deal with such influences and eliminate their undesirable effects on education. The subjective factors lie in the teacher himself/herself. It is the appreciation of self-reflection that is important for self-improvement. The survey shows that the respondents focused more on the ex- ternal factors, and less on themselves. The research has shown that self-reflection is an important aspect of education and is appreciated by teachers. However, there are certain areas that need to be addressed in order to realize self-reflection as a permanent part of a teacher’s work. 5 Conclusion The findings of the research are quite positive and have shown the importance of self-reflection in educational work, but also in the opinions of teachers. During the interviews, however, it was noted that self-reflection deserves constant attention from us teachers. We must work towards making teachers realize that self-reflection is an important process in their pedagogical-didactic activities. It was assumed that when 50 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021) teachers would talk about their self-reflection, they would most often say that they “think”, “compare”, “study”, “verify”, etc. That assumption was correct and necessary. However, it has been found that they approach self-reflection more or less spontane- ously, sometimes without specific goals or a well-thought-out strategy. Such an ap- proach cannot bring the desired result. According to several authors (Finlay and Gough, 2003; Buhren, Killus and Müller, 2002; Pachner, 2013), it is necessary for a teacher to approach self-reflection in the following sequence: Reality – the “here and now” ex- perience, the key aspects of thinking. Reflection – what I achieved, how I achieved it, what the result is. Factors – what influenced my progress, what I should change. Solu- tion – how I can change, what options I have, what result I expect. Result – what my new experience is, what is new in my activity compared to the previous one, in which my attitudes have changed fundamentally. In conclusion, self-reflection significantly contributes to the professional growth of the teacher; it is a way to be innovative and up-to-date in one’s teaching Self-reflection is not just self-focus, because the more I understand myself, the better I understand the behaviour and actions of others, i.e., pupils. A self-reflective teacher also educates self- reflective students by supporting their thinking, analytical approaches to the curriculum, etc. Self-reflection leads the teacher to humility and the knowledge that it is still pos- sible to learn and improve. The research, as well as the author’s own practice, highlights the idea that we must also pay attention to preparation for self-reflection when educat- ing future teachers. It not only contributes to increasing the quality of education, but also prevents the burnout syndrome. Dr. Erich Petlák Samorefleksija kot osnova (temelj) učiteljevega dela V tem članku posvečamo pozornost razvoju poklicnega potenciala učiteljev, vključ- no z razmišljanjem o lastni uspešnosti (Brown in Race, 1995; Fullan, 2012; Muchacka, Kaleta-Witusiak in Walasek-Jarosz, 2013). Refleksija v vzgojno-izobraževalnem proce- su je v osnovi stara kot šola (Dróźka, 2006; Razdevšek Pučko, 1996; Zupančič in Krajn- čan, 2019). V sedanji dobi modernizacije in vse večjih zahtev po znanju postaja sestavni del izobraževanja in izjemno pomembna za novo racionalnost mišljenja in delovanja (Kohútová, 2018; Meyer, 2009; Seyfried, Seel in Huber, 2006; Holcar Brunauer, Deut- sch in Cankar, 2017). Kaj je samorefleksija? Refleksija v pedagogiki pomeni razmišljanje o pretekli pe- dagoški situaciji z vidika učitelja, ki jo nato osvetlimo in preučimo z vseh strani, da jo lahko bolje razumemo in se iz nje zavestno učimo (Altrichter in Posch, 2007; Petlak in Hupkova 2004). Samorefleksija opisuje dejavnost razmišljanja o sebi. To pomeni ana- liziranje in preizpraševanje lastnih misli, občutkov in dejanj, da bi izvedeli več o sebi (Grüters, 2011). To je sposobnost, da drug na drugega gledamo objektivno, nepristran- sko od zunaj, da ocenimo svoje pozitivne in negativne vidike, da rišemo “točke rasti”. Refleksija je človeška veščina, ki je sestavljena iz introspekcije in zavedanja svo- jega vedenja in dejanj. Samorefleksija je kot “pogledati se v ogledalo” in opisati, kar 51 Erich Petlák, PhD: Self-Reflection as Basis of a Teacher’ s Work vidimo. To je način, kako oceniti sebe, svoje delovne metode in način učenja. Preprosto povedano, refleksija pomeni razmišljati o nečem (Muchacka, Kaleta-Witusiak in Wala- sek-Jarosz, 2013). Pedagoška refleksija kot teoretični koncept je postala pomembna v vzgojni praksi po zaslugi Schöna (1983), ki je avtor izraza refleksivni praktik. Refleksivna praksa pri poučevanju je nedvomno eden najpomembnejših virov oseb- nega strokovnega razvoja in izpopolnjevanja. Učinkoviti učitelji so prvi, ki priznajo, da je ne glede na to, kako dobra je lekcija, njihovo prakso vedno mogoče izboljšati. Razmi- šljanje učiteljev je pomembno, ker je to proces, ki učiteljem pomaga zbrati, zabeležiti in analizirati vse, kar se je zgodilo v lekciji. Refleksija učiteljem omogoča, da preidejo od zgolj doživljanja k razumevanju (Spalding, 2020). S pedagoško refleksijo se ukvarja psihologija. Z več zornih kotov predstavljamo teorijo Karpova (2004), ki opisuje tri vrste refleksivnosti: □ situacijsko refleksivnost – izhaja iz določene situacije, □ povratno refleksivnost – usmerjena na preteklost, □ perspektivno refleksivnost – usmerjena v prihodnost. Po Dayu je sposobnost samorefleksije nujen pogoj za samorazumevanje in samo- razumevanje pa je nujen pogoj za profesionalni razvoj vsakega učitelja (Day, 2003). Te ideje zadostujejo za razumevanje narave in pomena samorefleksije. Za celovitejši pogled izpostavljamo avtorje, ki pišejo, da sodoben pogled na izobraževanje pomeni: samorefleksijo, kritično mišljenje in tudi načrtovanje izobraževalnega procesa (Rubin, 2013; Petlák, 2020). Klemp (2014) bolj jedrnato opisuje bistvo refleksije. Navaja, da refleksija ni samo preprosto razmišljanje, je veliko več. Temelji na latinski besedi refleks: ponovno – vrni- tev, refleks – upogniti, vrtenje. Po njegovem ne gre le za preprosto razmišljanje, ampak za razmišljanje, vrnitev na prejšnje, ki vodi k spoznavanju drugega, novega. Kakšen je odnos učiteljev do samorefleksije? Samorefleksija mora biti naraven in vsakodnevni del učiteljevega dela. Refleksivna praksa pri poučevanju je nedvomno eden najpomembnejših virov osebnega strokovnega razvoja in izpopolnjevanja. Učinkoviti učitelji so prvi, ki priznajo, da je ne glede na to, kako dobra je lekcija, njihovo prakso ve- dno mogoče izboljšati. Razmišljanje učiteljev je pomembno, ker je to proces, ki učiteljem pomaga zbrati, zabeležiti in analizirati vse, kar se je zgodilo v lekciji. Učiteljem omogo- ča, da preidejo od zgolj doživljanja k razumevanju. Če se ne sprašujejo, kaj pomenijo njihove izkušnje, in o njih aktivno ne razmišljajo, ne bodo naredili nobenih sprememb in izboljšav (Johns, 2006; Spalding, 2020; Finlay in Gough, 2003). Veliko je odvisno tudi od tega, kakšno “nastavitev” razmišljanja ima učitelj. Lahko so učitelji s fiksno miselno- stjo, ki verjamejo, da so njihove lastnosti nespremenljive, in potem učitelji z miselnostjo rasti, ki menijo, da lahko izboljšajo svoje kvalitete s trudom (Dweck, 2007). V letu 2020 smo izvedli kvantitativno raziskavo z vprašalnikom. Preučili smo mne- nja in stališča osnovnošolskih učiteljev o tem, kako dojemajo samorefleksijo. Metodo vprašalnika smo dopolnili z intervjuji z učitelji, da bi bolj celovito spoznali njihova stališča. Vprašalnike je izpolnilo 452 učiteljev iz vseh regij Slovaške, intervju kot dopol- nilno metodo smo izvedli s 100 učitelji, ki so izpolnjevali vprašalnik. V kvalitativni raziskavi smo uporabili namenski izbor 452 anketirancev – od tega je bilo 410 žensk in 42 moških. Feminizacija v osnovnih šolah je zelo pomembna. V razi- 52 Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoška obzorja (3–4, 2021) skavo smo vključili osnovnošolske učitelje, ki imajo 6 ali več let pedagoških izkušenj in največ 35 let izkušenj. Prvotno smo želeli oceniti stališča učiteljev glede na dolžino pe- dagoške prakse in glede na spol. Razlik v mnenjih, ki bi bile statistično značilne, nismo opazili, zato rezultate predstavljamo ne glede na spol ali dolžino prakse. Rezultati kažejo, da učitelji dojemajo in cenijo samorefleksijo kot pomembno sred- stvo svojega dela, ki jim pomaga pri izboljšanju in nadgrajevanju poučevanja. Analiza prvega področja kaže na določene rezerve, saj 41,2 % anketirancev uporablja samore- fleksijo le, če ne doseže nečesa po svojih zamislih. Po drugi strani pa je razveseljivo, da uporabljajo samorefleksijo tudi takrat, ko dosežejo dobre rezultate, in v njej preučijo bistvo dobrih rezultatov. Vendar pa rezultati raziskave kažejo, da je pri vodenju osnovnih šol nekaj rezerv. Vodstva vseh šol niso zainteresirana za samorefleksijo svojih učiteljev. Identificirali smo 36,1 % šol, kjer temu ne posvečajo pozornosti. Na podlagi navedenega priporočamo, naj se v šolah s tem bolj ukvarjajo metodične in predmetne komisije. To je njihova na- loga in k temu naj spodbujajo tudi vodje šol. Pravilno je, da se učitelji zavedajo, da samorefleksija ni le metodologija poučeva- nja, ampak se osredotoča na druge vidike izobraževanja. To se je odražalo v odzivih na fokus samorefleksije. Odgovori so pokazali, da anketiranci uporabljajo samorefleksijo, ko namenjajo posebno pozornost razvijanju ustvarjalnosti učencev in objektivnosti vre- dnotenja rezultatov njihovih učnih dejavnosti. Metode in koristi samorefleksije so glede na odgovore anketirancev dober odraz re- alnosti. Novejše, naprednejše metode, npr. videi, webinarji in blogi, premalo vključujejo samorefleksijo. Zato se morajo vodstva šol bolj osredotočiti na pedagoško delo, ki ne vključuje le formalnega izpolnjevanja nalog, ampak tudi samorefleksijo. Od navedb anketirancev o tem, kako je k njihovemu delu prispevala samorefleksija, so še posebej pomembne tiste, ki izražajo, da jih je usmerila v delo s strokovno litera- turo, v nadaljnje izobraževanje, predvsem pa, da je spremenila zasnovo pouka. Tako se samorefleksija ne kaže le v usmerjanju učitelja k razmišljanju, temveč ga vodi tudi v nadaljnje raziskovanje. Samorefleksija in akcijsko raziskovanje sta za učitelja enotnost, ki prinaša boljše poučevanje. Dejavniki, ki lahko zavirajo samorefleksijo, so lahko objektivni in subjektivni. Objektivni so lahko prenagljene in nepreverjene reforme izobraževanja, razni novi predpisi itd. Subjektivni dejavniki so v učitelju samem. Za samoizpopolnjevanje je po- membno spoštovanje samorefleksije. Raziskava kaže, da so se anketiranci bolj osredo- točali na dejavnike zunaj sebe, manj na sebe. Raziskave so pokazale, da je samorefle- ksija pomemben vidik izobraževanja in jo učitelji cenijo. Ugotovitve raziskave so precej pozitivne in so pokazale pomen samorefleksije pri vzgojno-izobraževalnem delu. Intervjuji so pokazali, da si učitelji zaslužijo podporo v samorefleksiji. Učitelje moramo spodbujati in voditi k temu, da samorefleksijo doje- majo kot pomemben proces njihove pedagoško-didaktične dejavnosti. Predvidevamo, da učitelji, ko govorijo o svoji samorefleksiji, najpogosteje rečejo, da “razmišljajo”, “primerjajo”, “učijo”, “preverjajo” itd. Vse to je pravilno in potrebno. Ugotovili pa smo, da k samorefleksiji pristopajo bolj ali manj spontano, včasih brez določenih ciljev in premišljene strategije. Takšen pristop ne more prinesti želenega rezultata. V skladu z ugotovitvami različnih avtorjev (Finlay in Gough, 2003; Buhren, Killus in Müller, 53 Erich Petlák, PhD: Self-Reflection as Basis of a Teacher’ s Work 2002; Pachner, 2013) ugotavljamo, da mora učitelj pristopiti k samorefleksiji po nasle- dnjem zaporedju: □ 1. realnost – izkušnja “tukaj in zdaj”, ključni vidiki razmišljanja; □ 2. refleksija – kaj sem dosegel, kako sem dosegel, kakšen je rezultat; □ 3. dejavniki – kaj je vplivalo na moj napredek, kaj naj spremenim; □ 4. rešitev – kako lahko spremenim, kakšne možnosti imam, kakšen rezultat pričakujem; □ 5. rezultat – kakšna je moja nova izkušnja, kaj je novega v moji dejavnosti v primerjavi s prejšnjo, v kateri so se moji odnosi temeljito spremenili. Samorefleksija pomembno prispeva k profesionalni rasti učitelja – je torej način, kako biti inovativen in sodoben v poučevanju. Samorefleksija ni samo osredotočenost, saj bolj ko učitelj razume sebe, bolje razume vedenje in dejanja drugih, tj. učencev. Samorefleksiven učitelj vzgaja tudi samorefleksivne učence, saj podpira njihovo raz- mišljanje, analitične pristope k učnemu načrtu itd. Samorefleksija vodi učitelja k poni- žnosti in spoznanju, da se je še mogoče naučiti in izboljšati. Raziskava je pokazala, da moramo biti pozorni na samorefleksijo tudi pri izobraževanju bodočih učiteljev in jih nanjo pripraviti. Samorefleksija ne prispeva le k dvigu kakovosti izobraževanja, ampak tudi preprečuje sindrom izgorelosti. REFERENCES 1. Altrichter, H. and Posch, P. (2007). Lehrerinnen und Lehrer erforschen ihren Unterricht. Un- terrichtsentwicklung und Unterrichtsevaluation durch Aktionsforschung. Bad Heilbrunn: Klin- khardt. 2. Brown, S. and Race, P. (1995). 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