Simyka Carlton

Listening to Teachers:: Teachers' Perceptions of Reflective Practices in a Metropolitan School District Simyka Carlton

Effective professional development is a key component in improving teachers' practices in education. The purposes of the study were to identify and to explore teachers' perceptions of reflective practices as forms of professional development in a metropolitan public school and to develop theoretical propositions that may explain teachers' perceptions of reflective practices. Data were collected via interviews with 11 teachers and the director of professional development. Open, axial, and selective coding were used to analyze interviews and document data to generate theoretical propositions related to teachers' perceptions of reflective practices. A major finding was that the teachers interviewed had negative and positive perceptions of the types of reflective practices offered by the district. The teachers' negative perceptions were based on the limited involvement of teachers in deciding which reflective practices should be offered by the district. By implementing a full range of reflective practices as recommended by participants of the study, teachers will be able to identify additional areas of improvement which may lead to effective teaching and greater student success.