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Volume 12. Issue 2
Article 11

Title
One Teacher’s Development as a Reflective Practitioner

Author
Mark Wyatt
University of Leeds, UK

Bio Data:
Mark Wyatt worked as a Regional Tutor on the University of Leeds BA (TESOL) Project in Oman between 2002 and 2008, and is co-editor (with John Atkins) of 'Research perspectives on education in Oman' (2009). He is currently a Senior Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics at the University of Portsmouth, UK.

Abstract
Using qualitative case study methodology, this article explores a language teacher’s development as a reflective practitioner, while she was engaged on a three-year in-service BA (TESOL) programme in the Middle East. Data gained from observations and interviews reveal evidence of growth in her reflective qualities, skills and capacity to reflect critically, as she learned to solve teaching problems, drawing on public as well as personal theories. The constructivist nature of the BA (TESOL) programme concerned was integral to her development, as was a warm, supportive environment in the school she taught in. Interview data that uncovered early career experiences emphasises the need for pre-service courses to prepare teachers thoroughly for the challenges they face.

Keywords: reflective practice, constructivist teacher education, qualitative case study

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