Analysing teaching practices

In recent years, the prevailing culture about education has changed as regards the relationships between teacher and student. It is the result of the educational innovations which have introduced profound changes in teaching – learning processes. In order to improve teaching practices, different techniques have been developed in recent years. One of these techniques are the critical incidents.

Kennedy and Wyrick (1990) define the term critical incident “as a method of reflective practice” (as cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010, p. 8). According to Fernández González, Elórtegui Escartín and Medina Pérez (2003), Critical Incidents provide the tools for teaching practices analysis. Through critical incidents, teachers are faced to different teaching situations which can be analysed. Therefore, teachers not only interpret and analyse the situations about their teaching practices but they make decisions about them as learners and teachers. In other words, the main idea of critical incidents as a strategy is to integrate theory and practice and thus, the possibility for the reflexive analysis of classroom events which can be solved in a spontaneous way.

For Fernández González, Elórtegui Escartín and Medina Pérez (2003) critical incidents are structured in steps so that they can be solved. First, the context in which the situation happens should be analysed. Then, a description of the incident. Next, the possible causes for the incident. And finally, the more suitable solutions for such incident.

All this considered, I believe critical incidents in education are very useful and they should be present in our daily routine as teachers. Critical incidents do not replace classroom experience but provide teachers with professional resources based on reflexion. Furthermore, they prevent teachers from unsuitable reactions in the classsroom.

References

Fernández González, J., Elórtegui Escartín, N. & Medina Pérez, M. (2003). Los incidentes críticos en la formación y perfeccionamiento del profesorado de secundaria de ciencias de la naturaleza. Revista universitaria de Formación de Profesorado, 17- 001. Zaragoza, España: Universidad de Zaragoza. Retrieved December 2007, from

http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/src/inicio/ArtPdfRed.jsp?iCve=27417107

Pintos,V., & Crimi, Y. (2010). Unit 2: Personal narratives in teaching. Retrieved September, 2010 from

http://caece.campusuniversidad.com.ar/mod/resource/view.php?id=7214