Quality assurance, action research and a concept of a reflective practitioner

Vogrinc, Janez (author), Krek, Janez (author)

In the article we present action research as a factor in the teacher’s professional development and as a part of processes in ensuring quality in education. Action research is characteristically performed by practitioners, in this case teachers, and directly oriented towards improvement in practice. In the article we analyse the main characteristics of action research and present the results of empirical research which were used to determine whether there are any differences evident between teachers who have experience in research and those without such experience in terms of their interest for participation in the research process and at which stage of professional development are the teachers prepared to do research the most. We discuss the concept of the reflective practitioner which emphasises the particular skills needed to reflect constructively upon ongoing experience as a way of improving the quality and effectiveness of a teacher’s work. The concept encourages teachers and student teachers to reflect upon the effectiveness of a lesson or series of lessons through an attempt to evaluate what was learned, by whom, and how more effective learning might take place in the future. As such, it involves careful evaluation by teachers of their own classroom performance, planning, assessment and so on, in addition to and in conjunction with evaluations of pupils’ conduct and achievement.

• Language: English
• Keywords: action research, teacher-researcher, reflective practitioner, quality in education
• Typology: 1.08 - Published Scientific Conference Contribution
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Year: 2008
• Number of pages: 17 str.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-17008
• UDC: 371.13/.16
• COBISS.SI-ID: 7341385
• Publication date in RUL: 11.07.2014

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: akcijsko raziskovanje, kvaliteta pouka, vloga učitelja