Experiencing pedagogical reflection as the virtue phronesis

Abstract

ABSTRACT After decades of work, a unified conceptualization of pedagogical reflection remains elusive. Seeking clarity on the identity of pedagogical reflection, this phenomenological study begins not with an a priori definition of reflection, but with the lived experiences of five veteran teachers. Its goal was to discern from the respondents’ narratives the essence of pedagogical reflection, what makes the experience of pedagogical reflection what it is. Analysis of respondents’ narratives show that their experiences of pedagogical reflection align with qualities of the classical virtue phronesis: an essentially moral, habitual way of being, concerned with practical situations, that weaves together thinking, feeling, wanting, deciding, and acting into a unified whole. This inclusive understanding of reflection organizes and harmonizes the varied work on reflection from Dewey to the present and provides direction for teacher educators in their work to help teacher candidates become reflective practitioners.