Critical Reflection. The District shall participate in the critical reflection phase of this action research project and work to identify strategies and interventions to improve student aid programs based on the information provided by DHS.
Critical Reflection. The concept of critical reflection goes beyond the feasibility of a project but also include an initial discussion on social and cultural implications which the project might have in the mid- or long-term. What if this became a successful product/experience/show?
Critical Reflection. Xxxxx (2004, p. 77) seeks to develop a ‘process-oriented model’ to prepare educational leaders who are ‘committed to social justice and equity’, and she argues that critical reflection is the first step towards transformational practice. Xxxxx (ibid, p. 89) defines critical reflection as ‘the examination of personal and professional belief systems, as well as the deliberate consideration of the ethical implications and effect of practices’. Xxxxx recommends a number of activities to stimulate the development of critical reflection: cultural autobiographies, where participants identify their ethnic/cultural group; life histories, where participants ‘identify and interview a person who is older than 65 years of age and attended school in the United States’ (ibid, p. 100); prejudice reduction workshops, where participants take part in ‘a series of incremental, participatory activities that empower individuals of all ages and backgrounds to take leadership in building inclusive communities in their workplaces, schools, and neighbourhoods’ (ibid, p. 100); reflective analysis journals, where participants record their thoughts throughout the semester ‘as a means of identifying and clarifying thoughts, feelings, beliefs, perspectives, worldviews, challenges, hopes, and aspirations’ (ibid, p. 100); cross-cultural interviews, where participants engage in a ‘one-on-one encounter with an individual’ who is different from them in ‘ethnicity/race/religion/sexual orientation’ (ibid, p. 101); educational plunges, where participants are encouraged to ‘select an activity that will challenge them to move beyond their present level of comfort, knowledge, and awareness and yet not be so uncomfortable or threatening that they are unable to be open to the “minority experience”’ (ibid, p. 101); diversity panels, where participants ‘engage in a sharing of their educational experiences, and participate in an informal question and answer session’ (ibid, p. 102); activist action plans, where participants ‘identify issues that can trigger conflicts (i.e., unequal distribution of material/social resources or differing values, beliefs, and cultural expressions)’, and ‘then develop practical, doable strategies for avoiding them and/or resolving them’ (ibid, pp. 102-103). Xxxxx does not provide empirical evidence to support the claims for the efficacy of the activities listed above, but she does identify numerous studies that highlight the utility of such strategies as a m...
